The Color of Blue: Titans AU Part 1
by EastSideBebop
Summary: Titans are heroes who fight for truth & justice but some deadly foe's return with murderous intents & new allies! Good thing they have the help of some new rookies right? But are things what they seem? Massive Crossovers, OCCs On hold until further notice
1. The color of blue: Prologe & timeline

So, I redid this (again) and explained things a _lot_ more… don't forget to read the new chapters (and the revisions of the old ones) and enjoy!

Preface: this is my own timeline; for the feel, it borrows heavily from the Teen Titans TV show and the movie The Incredibles, but has many OC twists.

So if you don't like it or how it's done then tough, I like the way it fits and it gives me the freedom to do a lot with the story arc's.

Non OCC's and other non OC: DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Brad Bird, Pixar…

Everything else is property of the eastsidebebop. SO NO STEALING YOU MUFFIN CRUMBS! (lame)

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In truth, no one knew the reason of why he was so sad…

We know where he and his friends came from, and we know that the things that happened before, during and after his time with us, where not the fault of anyone individual, but the plans of three twisted super villains, bent on our destruction.

All the Titans know for sure, and indeed all we remember, is that he was arguably the most powerful being we ever met. Not for any one reason, he wasn't indestructible, although, like me, he was tougher than armored steel, nor was he the fastest, even though he gave Bart a scare once. Or, even for anything else, but for his combination of qualities, he was fearless, amazingly smart, and he had some kind of blue energy power like that of the Green Lanterns, only… blue…

He was fiercely loyal, and he was more tenacious then anyone else, even Tim, for he honestly, truthfully, did not understand the word quit…

But most of all, and ultimately, the only reason the others asked me to tell this story, was because of the things he did that made us more than just teammates or friends, he made us a family… Through his sadness, he showed us how to be strong… That is why I must tell his story… And yet… I cannot… what follows is a composite story; told like one of those thrillers that Cassie, Raven or Beast Boy are always reading… cause really, we all put something into this… we all where touched by him… we all _loved_ him and were loved by him…

More than anything, that is why we will always remember him, the reason _I_ will always remember him, Max Talbot, the one we called, Blue Lightning…

Conner Kent A.K.A. Super Boy…

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Teen Titans Alternate Timeline…

1982: The young sidekicks to Batman, Green Arrow, Wonder Woman, The Flash, and Aqua Man, began meeting in San Francisco to form their own "Hero League". After six months, Bruce Wayne, aka Batman, and Oliver Queen, aka Green Arrow, secretly start the "Teen Heroes fund" and help the young heroes start what is soon known as the "Teen Titans," a team designed to help young heroes mature into their own. Founding Team members included: Dick Grayson, aka Robin, Roy Harper, aka Speedy, and Wally West, aka Kid Flash… they and their comrades are now know as the "Gen 1 Titans" ironically all members of the Teen Titans, are aged ten to thirteen…

1988: an unfortunate series of events occur in the city of Munichburg involving legendary superhero Mr. Incredible, the villain Bomb Voyage, and a boy named Buddy Pine, caused a large number of bystanders to be injured a resulting commuter train accident. The following lawsuits filed against the super and the U.S. government cost over 9.3 million dollars and opened the floodgates for superhero lawsuits all over the world…

1990: After two years of almost constant monetary settlements, the governments of the world, led by the United States, sought to end the madness that had made hero work a lucrative job, by outlawing, or "banning" as it was called, and hiding any and all superheroes, granting them immunity from lawsuits for past actions, the U.S. government alone spent over 7.5 _bill_ion dollars in sending away or hiding the bulk of the worlds greatest heroes and effectively shutting down the N.S.A.

1993: Rumors run rampant that Batman, The Flash, and Green Arrow are still practicing hero work despite the laws forbidding such actions, as well as scattered reports of other strange, unexplainable events, however no solid proof is ever found…

Note: The only superhero tolerated at this time is the Green Lantern, after the guardians of the universe petitioned the leaders of earth to let a member of the Lantern Corps be stationed there to protect earth and other worlds in this region of space from any major threats, under the condition that he limit his actions on earth…

1995: New rumors begin after legendary jewel thief Jhon De Mere, claims that he was thwarted by a young masked hero calling himself "Nightwing" theory's as to who this may be vary from Batman to his now not-quite-so-young sidekick Robin, to an alien vigilante… however, no other sightings of any heroes happen this year and public interest wanes, as facts are not forthcoming…

2005: After fifteen years, superheroes are back in favor with the world after a mad inventor calling him self "syndrome" and his runaway "Omiodroid" wreck a large section of downtown Metroville… only to be stopped by none other than Mr. Incredible, his wife Elastagirl, their two young children, and good friend Frozone. Six months later, the U.S. government fully reactivates the N.S.A. and lifts the superhero ban, soon nations the world over follow suit and the old supers come out of retirement, and a new generation of heroes slowly emerges…

2008: Batman and Green Arrow hold a press conference, announcing that there is now a new Titans tower being built in the thriving new town of Jump on the California coast, and that Gen 1 Titans Nightwing and Arsenal will be mentoring there for the next six months…

However that plan never comes to pass, as two groups of young supers, Young Justice and the "new" Teen Titans, form on either end of the country at the same time… the Justice League steps in and guides training efforts…

2010: barely two years pass and the only two young superhero teams in the world are no more, when a biogenic life form from the far future suddenly appears at a "graduation" ceremony and, inadvertently, kills two of the young supers, Donna Troy (formerly Wonder Girl), and Cissie Maguire (Arrowet).

Just six months later, Roy Harper and Dick Grayson team up once more to lead a group of misfit young adult supers forming the "Outsiders"

Tim Drake, the current Robin, moved to Jump C_ity_ to strike out on his own, only to run into a genetically altered runaway alien princess, a Cybernetic teen, a young empathic sorceress, and a green teenage changeling… After an impromptu allegiance to fight off a fleet of Gordanian commandos and win the Runaway her freedom, the five decided to form "Gen 2" of Teen Titans. After some explaining and endorsements by Superman, Batman, and Green Arrow, the N.S.A. reinstates the Teen Titans.

2011: After eleven months, as more young heroes join the ranks of the Teen Titans, Tim Drake submits a proposal to rename the Gen 2 Teen Titans to simply the "Titans". All Teen Titans and many members of the Justice League, the Justice Society, and the Doom Patrol concur, and a new chapter in the age of young supers begins…

2014: Titan team member and villainous Spy, Terra Markov betrayed her Comrades, to the worst thing to happen to young supers since the "graduation day" event of 2010, a bounty hunter and mercenary called Deathstroke, better know to the criminal underworld as Cadmiums Slade…

Terra ambushed the other Titans savagely, yet they all survived. Thinking that the Titans where out of the picture, Slade and Terra took over Jump City with a massive army of robots. But it only lasted for two days, before the five original Gen 2 Titans staged a brilliant, if not desperate, surprise attack, wiping out the bulk of Slade's army, and cornering him and Terra, who then betrayed her master and, supposedly, killed him. After recovery, she rejoined the Titans a full member.

Yet, just three months later, in a fit of lust and jealousy over her crush on Garfield Logan/Beast Boy, she attacked her fellow Titans and tried to kill Rachel Roth/Raven, yet was defeated killed by Logan and Roth. Six months later, a villain named Alex Blood begin tormenting Roth, and even kidnapped her, Logan freed her, and in the ensuing fight, they killed him as well, after which, Logan went to Japan for training under the Sian Masters for one year…

2015: Earth's newest member of the Green Lantern Corps, Lucas Jones is declared MIA after a run in with a evil scientist from another quadrant, then three months later Green Lantern Hal Jordan, finds Jones encased in his rings energy field, at the edge of our solar system… Twenty years younger, after looking for a cure and finding none, Lucas Jones joins the Titans, on a temporary basis, six weeks later, young superheroes, Static Shock and Gear, move to Jump City, soon Titans mobile member, Speedy joins Static Shock, Gear and Young Lantern with former villain, vigilante Blackfire to form Titans Two. Fears that Blackfire, sister to Titans' member Starfire, would start trouble are quickly put away after she helps Young Lantern in a daring rescue of President-elect Lexington Luther, and Batman from the hands of the Joker and Mr. Freeze.

2016: In a surprising move, young super heroine "Incredi-girl" relocates to Jump City from Metroville, and severs ties with her crime fighting family, once in Jump City, she joins the newly formed "Titans Two", one of many new teams of young heroes that are forming in various places around the world. This Titan team under the leadership of one of earths Green Lanterns, Lucas Jones, now known as "Young Lantern".

Also, at this time, leaders of the new "Titan teams" vote unanimously to make Robin of "Titans one" the overall leader of the now international network of young heroes. Robin accepts saying quote: "This is the greatest honor anyone can hope to ask for. To lead the next generation of heroes in the pursuit of liberty, justice and the last slice of pizza." The smile he gave after the quote is now legendary…

2017 (Present day): Rumors of someone calling himself Deathstroke start floating across the Atlantic from Europe. Reports that foreign bank accounts belonging to one Cadmiums Slade are being emptied, startle the superhero community and set the Titans, and their allies; Titans East, Titans Two, Titans Euro, Titans Mobile and Titans Pacifica, on alert…

The world we once knew, is not the world we now know… and the world we know now, will not be forever…


	2. A botched bank job, & a question

Idk why but I'll do this anyways: I don't own any of this other than the three characters I made; Knight Blade, Moon Beam & Blue Thunder…everything else is owned by DC comics and WB…

Remember; this takes place in another universe, as so it may not fit with what you know, but don't worry!

Enjoy!

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The Color of Blue: Titans AU Part1

Act 1: Enter Boy Blue

"Fear? Fear is boring. And boring? Boring is having to get up and go to "work" every day…"_—Mr. incredible, 1980_

_California, 2017_

_Titians Tower…_

"EVERYONE IN THE CONTROL ROOM NOW!!!" Robins voice boomed over the address system jolting all the Titians out of what they where doing, soon everyone, Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, Kid Flash, Super Boy, Wonder Girl, and Starfire where in the control room, looking at the main screen, taking in the view of a bank robbery in progress… "…we don't know how many gunmen there are, but we do know that they are being led by two super powered teens and they have taken over twenty hostages and have nearly 3 million dollars…" the newscaster was talking very fast but even so, the gravity of the moment was not lost on the Titians, "We have to get down there and do something." Super Boy said, as he finished pulling his black super shirt over his bulky frame, even though everyone saw the smudged pink lipstick on his cheek and noted that Wonder Girls shirt was quite wrinkled, there where more important things happening at the moment then who was lip-locking with who…

"Well I think we need more info, but let's gear up and get down there…" Robin's communicator buzzed and flashed so he opened it and held it up to his ear: "This is Robin." "… This is J.P.D. Chief Reynolds, we need some help here… all our gear is useless, one of the supers is putting up some kinda energy field, can you help?" Robin had hit the speaker button the second he heard "J.P.D." everyone nodded and started for the door. "Of course Chief Reynolds, we're on our way now…" the words had barely left his mouth before he was on the R cycle, chasing after Cyborg in the T car, flowing Kid Flash, while everyone else flew…

_8 minuets later…_

Robin and Cyborg got there just a few minuets after Kid Flash did, so Flash filled them in; "K guys, it like this: they walked in, the supers shut down all the security systems and cameras, then the gunmen came out of the bathroom and rounded everyone up… There locked in the vault right now but…" suddenly the front door swung open and a glowing red teenager floated out with a gunman in tow, his automatic rifle pointed at the head of a tall twenty something in a black coat with a red and black scarf… "Listen up pigs!" shouted the red teen; "You will clear out and let us get to the airport, without any interference, or we will kill a hostage every 20 minuets! And to show you we mean it, here's our down payment!" the red teen nodded and the gunman chambered a round into place… the hostage slowly reached into a small pocket on his right arm and pulled out a pair of dark, rectangular, sunglasses and put them on… then in one lightning fast, fluid motion, he bent forward, kicked the gunman in the face with a sick, bone crushing "thud!" flew in front of the would be super-villain, and hit him square in the chest with a bolt of fiery blue light… then, before anyone knew just what was going on, he disappeared with the rifle into the bank… for everyone watching there seemed to be a flash of light and a long, loud gun shot… in truth, it was four shots fired so fast, that the sounds melded together… "What tha' crap?" Super Boy said as he landed on top of the bank, just as the sound was moving out of the building, no sooner than the sound reached his ear, then he and Kid Flash where in the bank ready for… well almost anything… The gunmen where all dead, a single bullet hole in each of there heads, right between the eyes… the guns where all in a pile, twisted up into knots, the ammo, stacked neatly to the side… "That's… Cool? Who did this?" Flash said, scratching his head and blinking, as Robin and the others burst in, they too where shocked to find the hostages safe, the gunmen dead, and the two super villains… gone? "Whoa, Rob, we gots a big problem here, there are _no_ bad guys left to question." Cyborg said as he looked around the lobby of the bank, "This is crazy…" said Wonder Girl, looking around the bank; "…where did they go? And where is that guy they where gonna shoot?" Raven appeared, out of nowhere and approached the others, "I sense… some sort energy flux… I also feel… I think… sadness…" everyone looked at the slim, dark witch questioningly, "Raven, what do you mean by this?" asked Starfire as she walked over to examine the nearest dead gunman… "I feel like I'm in the presence of a Green Lantern, and… I don't know why." Raven looked as puzzled as she sounded and that was rare… Robin looked around the room, then said; "Spread out and look for anything that might be out of place, and I mean _anything_. After that, then let the cops do there job and we'll meet back at the tower…" "You got it Rob!" Cyborg answered as he started a scan for fingerprints on what was left of the guns and ammo... "Great…" muttered Beast Boy, "…just great, like life ain't hard enough, now we gotta whole new puzzle to work out…"

Before the end of the week, Beast Boy would know that that was the understatement of the year…

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R&R people, I'll take any ideas or suggestions if ya' got em'…


	3. A smell, a Ghost? & a worried witch

So here's the revised Chapter 2 y'all… enjoy!

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"_Great…" muttered Beast Boy, "…just great, like life ain't hard enough, now we gotta whole new puzzle to work out…"_

Before the end of the week, Beast Boy would know that that was the understatement of the year…

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_Titans tower one…_

Garfield Logan walked into the big common room and flopped down on the couch, next to arguably his best friend in the world, Victor Stone; "Sup G?" Vic asked as he continued to channel surf on the large by huge TV. "Ehh, I got a weird feeling about that botched bank job this morning…" Cyborg stopped surfing, and clicking off the TV, he turned to face his green skinned friend… "How so B.B.? It's not like you to worry over stuff like that." "I know, it's just…" Beast Boy morphed into a blood hound and scratched his ears, then spoke; "…well, the nose knows ya' dig?" he morphed back, and Cyborg nodded, "So what's got your nose twitchin'?" at that moment, Nightwing, Robin and Raven walked into the room, they seemed to be discussing the file Robin was holding, or rather the contents thereof… "I'm telling you Wing, this is just what we need! If that guy was a super of some sorts and he saved the hostages, then we can use him!" the shorter masked hero was pointing the file at the tall, blue, and black clad leader of the outsiders and envoy/go between of the Titans, the Justice League, and the Outsiders…

A big job for a strong leader, but Dick Grayson was a born leader who loved a challenge, no matter how large or small…

Even if it was his "replacement", Tim Drake…

"Robin…" Night Wing looked down at him and shook his head, then continued; "You know that we as heroes can't just kill the bad guys if we see fit to it. You keep leaving out the fact that, that guy, or whoever it was, killed the gunmen outright, and without giving them the chance to surrender." "Never mind the fact that the two supers where nowhere to be found." Raven's interjection had but a trace of worry in monotone voice, a voice that sent a slight tingle through Beast Boy's body. Leaning in Cyborg whispered; "Man, when are you gonna get over it? Your not fourteen anymore and Raven's all yours!" Logan's green eyes blazed … "Will you… Stop that!" "Hokay, B.B.! Don't bust out with the Kung-fu on me!" Cyborg held his mech-hand up with his energy shield on stand by…

Not that it mattered; Beast Boy had spent almost a year in Japan with a noted hero and Sian Master, named Goku. The Sian Master, taught Logan how to channel his energy into bursts of light, a powerful weapon when used with his advanced hand to hand training, Beast Boy was now truly a force to be reckoned with, and no longer just the comic relief…

The fact that he and Raven had barely killed the last incarnation of Brother Blood together was just one of the reasons he had gone back to Japan last year… the other reasons he gave where passable at best but he simply did not talk about the real reasons to anyone, but Raven…

"You guys got a feeling about that whole thing at the bank too huh?" Beast Boy asked before he shot a quick look at Victor, then jumped over the back of the couch and landed, ninja style, in front of his other three friends; "I got a weirdo smell back there that I can't shake, and something tells me ya'll did to." Raven's eyes softened slightly at the sight of… _Can I really say it?_ She thought to herself;_ Yes._ _Boyfriend… Garfield Logan is MY boyfriend…_ "What did you smell Gar?" she asked softly, almost kindly… Robin and Night Wing cut quick glances at each other but quickly got back to business. "Something, well I don't know really…" He began to scratch the back of his head, "But it's like something I'd felt more that smelled ya' know?"

"Indeed…" a new voice, deep and gravelly, yet almost sexy, floated into the room…

And that caused Raven to jump slightly… Looking like a lost school girl, the purple and navy blue clad eight-teen year old whirled around in time to see a ghostly face on the window… well it was a medieval knight's helmet rather, and the eyes behind it where glowing a soft slivery red as the voice spoke again: "Do not fear, fellow champions of truth and justice. We seek help and guidance, and refuge from the elements… and our new adversary… May we come in?" "Who all is we?" asked Cyborg, as Kon-El and Bart Allen suddenly swooshed into the room in time to see a very Freaked out Raven and a dumfounded Beast Boy… "WOW! That's wicked cool!" Bart shouted as he burst into the room, dragging Kon-El behind him "Damm it Bart! My sho… Holy…" was all that Super Boy was able to say before his eyes started glowing green; "He's cool, he just wants some help for his friends." "He just told us that meat head." Robin smirked, as Super Boy's eyes went back to normal, "Go and crap your self Boy wonder, I'm still trying to learn how to control my newly enhanced telekinesis, so lay off okay?"

By this point Raven had regained her composure and had moved to the window facing the knight helmet that was being projected … "Who else is with you?" she asked calmly, searching for any signs of danger, and finding none. "I can not show you. My armor and blade do not permit me that kind of projection, and my comrade who can do so is hurt very badly, she needs help that I cannot give her…" "Where are you?" asked Cyborg, after he grabbed a first aid kit from the nearby storage closet, "Why, we are at your front door, metal warrior! For, sadly, I can only project my image over very short distances."

The last part of his statement was to little more that an after image of Bart Allen and a very puzzled Victor Stone…


	4. A Knight, a girl & questions confused

Okay, if some of this seems a bit rushed, well… that's cause it is… but I've thought out the whole story line now and trust me, this is gonna take a while… right now you know about half of the players in this story, but not how it all fits, so this chapter is going to get the intro set up, and put it more into the context I've chosen… then I'll devote some chapters to individual characters as well as pairs and sets thereof to show the relationships and how this all works… so take your time reading this and I'd even say re-read it before you review… Yes, this is kinda long huh…

Just in case you missed it: I'm a starving College student who only owns three kicking heroes and four neat villains that no one really knows about… everything else is DC, WB or hearsay… enjoy!

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"_Where are you?" asked Cyborg, after he grabbed a first aid kit from the nearby storage closet, "Why, we are at your front door, metal warrior! For, sadly, I can only project my image over very short distances."_

_The last part of his statement was to little more that an after image of Bart Allen and a very puzzled Victor Stone…_

_Titians Tower, Med-center…_

"I don't think it's wise for me to try and heal more that her skin…" Raven stood apart from the others, her eyes softly glowing, and her finger tips darkening slightly, "She seems to be healing quite well on her own anyway." "Are you afraid that your magic might react with hers Raven?" Robin asked as he and Cyborg stepped back from the bed, looking up at her. Raven looked the tall, slender girl over: her body, covered in a loose, deep purple and grey suit, she looked like an extra large 14 year old, small curves, and slim, swimmer's limbs covered in pale skin not unlike Raven's own, yet her face was poetically Roman, with a prominent and graceful nose and chin, with soft, round cheekbones, and short ash blond hair, shag cut to frame her unique face… "I've no doubt that my powers will react with hers, even knocked out I can feel her powers and emotions." Raven pulled her hood up and snapped her fingers, causing the girls flesh wounds, visible through the rips and tears in the costume, to close up, "She is very strong, but tired, we need to leave and let her rest." And with that Raven left the infirmary, and walked down the hall.

"I'm with Raven ya'll," Cyborg said "And if the great Boy wonder has forgotten by the way, we still have the tall sword carrying knight who brought her here in the kitchen, eating all the food with Bart and Kon…" "Then I guess that now is as good a time as any to talk to him." Robin answered, noting that Night Wing had already left the room.

"Save some for me will you?" Robin asked as he and Cyborg entered the kitchen, seeing that the other Titians where at the large table stuffing various foods into there mouths and talking with there new guest; "Sup Rob! Dig in!" Bart said before stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth, Cassie rolled her eyes at Bart, then looked up; "Yeah, come meet Knight Blade, you'll like him." Her smile was slight but knowing, and the new visitor stood slowly nodding at her; "The lovely heroine is very kind, as are all of you, I can only hope that we shall become more that just comrades, but friends as well." "Agreed!" answered Star Fire a big smile on her face; "Robin, Knight Blade has been telling us about himself, but perhaps you would like some time alone with him to talk and learn more?" "If he doesn't mind yeah." Robin said nodding, "I have no objections." Knight Blade answered, "Where do you wish to talk?" Robin hooked his thumb at the elevator, "The roof is as good a place as any."

"Very well, lead on!" Knight Blade stepped back from the table and then addressed the rest of the Titians: "Comrades! I am glad to have met all of you and hope that we will have many glorious battles together, defending truth and justice! But for now, I bid you all, good noon-time, and good health."

_Later on the roof of Titians Tower…_

"So that's the story?" Robin asked as Knight Blade wearily sat down next to the elevator block, looking over at the far side of Jump City, across the bay…

"Yes Robin, that's the story, I was given the Sword of Justice and the Armor of Truth by Merlin only six months ago… do you want to see the real me?" the question was sudden and took Robin off guard for a split second, but he recovered: "Well I guess, if you want to I have no problem with it."

"Good." With that, the suit of armor seemed to turn to a liquid, and seemed to evolve from medieval armor, into progressively more modern body armor until it then stopped, and then flashed a mix of red, white, blue and gold then it was no more that a baseball cap, a knit vest, a watch, belt, and boots…

All on a tall, wiry, frame… Robin looked up slightly at the face under the cap; it was thin, lightly tanned, and had light dimples, light green eyes, and a short, dark brown goatee. "Hi, my names Jason, but call me Jase…" Robin blinked then extended a gloved hand, "Nice to meet you Jase."

Suddenly Robin's communicator buzzed and Cyborg's voice came over it: "Yo Rob! We got something going on at Alcatraz! Looks like some kinda super fight." Robin had the COM unit out and was looking at the display map and the blinking red dot… he looked over at Jason, "Can you fly?" he shook his head, "No, but I can jump pretty far, with my suit that is." Robin nodded, "Do you want to help or would you rather stay here and take care of your friend?" "I'd love to help but if Kar- I mean Moon Beam wakes up in a new place without any friends… Well let's just say that you'd best start likening hotels _really_ fast." Robin pushed the button for the elevator and grunted; "Heh, that's fine, I'll get someone to stay here with you and help when you need it." "Thanks, thanks a lot." "It's cool." Robin said, as they rode the elevator down, he pulled his communicator out and called the others, "Titans two is in San Diego, so guys, I want Wonder Girl, Raven, and Super Boy en rote now, and I need someone to stay behind and help out Knight Blade in case Moon Beam wakes up and needs anything." "I can." Bart answered instantly, "I don't know Bart, we may need your speed on the island if things get really hairy." Robin countered, "That's why I'm perfect!" Bart answered "I can get to Alcatraz in like a few seconds if you call." "Fine." Robin said to the speedster as he stepped out into the garage and faced him, "Stay here, and give Knight Blade anything he needs or can't find him self, but I want you ready the moment your COM unit goes off, got it?" "Yo!" answered the now yellow clad teen as he walked back to the stairs, then shot up them in a blur, Robin turned to Star Fire; "Can you keep an eye on Bart, and help Moon Beam if she wakes up before we get back?" Star Fire nodded and smiled, "Of course Robin! Kid Flash will be there if you need him even if I have to kick him out there!" Robin stared for a second, then burst out laughing, "Star! You made a joke! A good one too!"

Star Fire gave him a sly grin; "I may not understand _everything_ about earth, but I do learn fast…"

_High above Alcatraz, 5 minuets later…_

Wonder Girl, Raven, and Super Boy, where on the scene this time and what they saw caused them to stop… "That is messed up…" Super Boy stated as Wonder Girl nodded and watched three supers all fighting a lone figure… "Seems a bit one-sided." Said Cassie as the fight raged on in a large, fenced in yard. "How do you mean?" Raven asked, "Look, the three of them have yet to even touch that guy…" Raven eyes flashed in recognition; "THAT'S THE HOSTAGE FROM THE BANK!" all three Titians shouted to each other… instantly, the three flying forms plummeted downward at the fight… until they hit a force field, causing them to fall to the ground, stunned the three heroes got up and saw a fiery red-haired teen throwing fireballs, a short ninja with a glowing staff leaping up to strike and a fierce looking green and black man wielding twin short battle axes, all swinging at the tall twenty-something, who, seemed to have some sort of powers of his own, for the speed with which he dodged the blows was quite inhuman, soon however it was clear that he knew what each of his attackers moves where before they made them…

The villains ended up fighting each other as much as the tall young man until the ninja spoke; "Fight us you cowered! Fight and die like your weak little shadowy girlfriend!" that seemed to do something: the tall figure stopped moving and stood there facing his advisories… a slight wind blew dust along the ground, and the three Titians saw a change come over the long haired figure: his face, covered in short, dark, dirty stubble, became hard, his eyes flashed a blue color, his mixed brown hair started flowing around his head, the long black and red scarf, long black coat came off slowly, revealing a black, printed t-shirt, tight over a strong, lean upper-body, long loose, ripped blue jeans bunched over scuffed brown boots… all now glowing the same color blue of his eyes, visible through his dark rectangle sunglasses, at this point Raven hit the ground on her knees, looking like she was going to puke her guts allover the ground… Wonder Girl bent over to help her friend, "Raven? Raven! What's wrong?!?" suddenly Super Boy put his hand on his head and muttered: "Ouch…" at that point, Cassie looked and stared in wonder…

"If what you say is true Black Owl, then you and your buddies are dead…"

The Green Axe man spoke next; "Really? I doubt you can do more now than glow, much less fight AND beat us!" "You miss understand…" the tall blue figure stated flatly, "I don't intend to _fight_, I intend to _kill…_"

Before the remark could register in anyone's mind, a beam of fiery blue energy hit the Green villain on his left hand, vaporizing it in a flash; "AGGGGRRRRAAA!" the Green man's voice was so loud that people in the next town companied of the noise, and the stench of burning flesh filled the island… "Warlord! NO!" Shouted the Red fire wielding teen as his leader crumpled to the ground writhing in agony holding what was left of his forearm… "Oops… I missed…" said Blue coldly. With that, the black clad ninja pulled his sword and charged… right into a waiting pair of flaming blue swords, "Do you think…" said the fiery blue being as he blocked and struck at the now frantic ninja, "...That I'm as weak as you?" his face set like stone… "You kill because you _like_ it!" he hissed, "But I kill because you leave me no choice!" and with that he slashed the ninjas head off, causing the force field to drop and allowing the pain that Super Boy and Raven had felt to stop. "Go! Go! GO!" shouted Kon-El as he charged over the first set of fences in between him and the fight, Wonder Girl leapt into the air and grabbed her lasso preparing to rope the two remaining villains before the fiery blue swordsman got to them.

However, neither one got a chance: the green bulk of a man stood and shouted: "You'll not take me that easily Lightning!" and with that, he slammed his fist into the ground and he and the pyrokinetic teen disappeared in a cloud of smoke…

"Damm!" said Super Boy as he landed next to Wonder Girl and Raven in front of the short tower of blue energy standing before them "One more second and…" "And nothing." Raven interrupted, scowling at Kon-El; "I could not stop them with my magic, and you and Cassie where not fast enough to grab anyone, and he killed the other. So there is not much else we can do." "Well I know something we can do." Countered Kon-El, "What?" Cassie asked as she put her lasso back on her belt, "Talk to Mr. blue stuff." Conner Kent said as he walked up to the now shaking, blue young man… "Stop." He said as Super Boy came closer, "I must regain control of my self!" he shouted as the hero slowed his advance…


	5. the Rock and a Blue place

Okay, so I think I'm doing good right now, I've started some other chapters on some of the relationship dynamics that are going on in the story… yeah there will be a bit of "love making" (don't worry, I won't be graphic…) and some more wordplay, and questions answered… oh and I know someone is like: "where's Slade?" don't worry, he there, he's just being quite right now, and planning something… MUWHAHAHA!!! Sorry got into it there… I also saw that I was "miss spelling" Starfire… so I fixed that too…

As before, I own only Knight Blade, Moon Beam, Blue Lightning, Warlord, Pyro, and Owl, everything else is WB/DC… enjoy!

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"…Well, you can't just stop being who you are, it's just not natural! Knowhat-I-mean?" ElastaGirl—1989

Conner Kent… …walked up to the now shaking, blue young man… "Stop." He said as Super Boy came closer, "I must regain control of my self!" he shouted as the hero slowed his advance…

Alcatraz Island, 4:30pm… 

Cassie Sansmark, known the world over as Wonder Girl, was seeing the one thing she never thought she'd see: Kon-El, Super Boy, the clone of Superman, one of the most powerful heroes on earth, (and one of the most arrogant) was cowering… "OKAY! Okay, I'll back off…" Kon-El's black shirt, a titanium mesh-weave that could stop lasers, (not that it needed to…) and was known to only have been damaged by its wearer, was now smoldering in shreds, hanging off a powerful set of shoulders, now bowed slightly as Super Boy stood up and backed up until he was in line with Cassie, and Raven… "I'm… I'm sorry…" the tall, dark haired young man said as the blue aura started to fade away, "You aren't hurt badly are you?" Conner Kent grinned, "No, I don't think so, but you trashed my shirt." The tall figure now looked quite normal; "Oh, sorry about that… Your Super Boy aren't you? And… hey yeah, you're the Titians!" the tall super nodded his head in recognition and asked; "Can you help me? My name's Max, my friends and I got separated, and now… if what Owl said is true… he shuddered slightly and Raven once again hit the ground, but this time, she convulsed violently and puked up her lunch. "Raven!" Cassie gasped, she and Kon-El where at the pale teens side instantly…

"I'm… fine…" Raven took her friends' hands and started to get up, "Ouch, such _power_…" she looked at the tall super and they regarded each other: the first thing Raven noticed was how tall he was, easily over six and a half feet tall. Next, she saw his hair, long, mixed brown locks, tinged with grey highlights, flowing down to just above his muscular shoulders, hiding part of his cheeks and framing his lean, round face… a face holding deep sad eyes that seemed shades of blue, green, grey, gold, and brown all at the same time, a molt or calico of sorts… Those eyes… they held her, pleading for some sort of release… she shook loose of their hold and looked at his chest and legs, ripped was the only word that fit…

As Maxwell Talbot looked over the dark witch, he saw everything he'd expected to see: the long purple cloak, the navy-blue leotard, the red and gold belt, and broach, and the soft black boots… As well as the well formed figure filling up the costume, and the dark violet hair with matching eyes piercing out of the slight shadow cast by her hood, gazing up and down at him…

"He lied." The comment made by Raven jolted Max out of his wandering gaze and sad thoughts, "What do you mean?" Max asked as he slowly reached over and picked up his coat and scarf, "The one you called 'Black Owl, the one you killed, he lied." Max looked hard at Raven his eyes started glowing, and then stopped, "How do you know this?" Max asked thinking: _ 'Why would the Titians lie to me?'_ Cassie picked it up there: "Your friend Night Blade found us, and he brought a girl he called Moon Beam in, she was in bad shape but she's in the Med-wing of Titians Tower healing up."

Max fell to his knees, "You mean? I killed without just cause?" "No." Super Boy spoke up now, "Like you said, you killed because they left you no choice. Had you not done something, they would have killed you as soon as they could." Max nodded slowly, "This is true…" Kon-El then added; "And anyway, they at least seemed to _try_ and kill her." Max shook his head grimly then he then got up and made a small orb of blue energy, and pulled out a large black backpack, "Take me to my friends please…" he asked as he shrugged the backpack on and put his sunglasses back on his face, "Just follow us." Cassie said as she leapt back into the air.

Meanwhile… 

"I can't raise em' Rob!" Cyborg yelled over the com-link as he manhandled the T-car around a corner, "The com signal's not getting through!" "WHY NOT!" Robin fairly screamed as his R-cycle flew through the air, right behind a small grey four-door car full of hoods that had just taken a shot at the Mayor… and had missed, thanks to a stroke of pure luck with Robin's quick call and Vic Stone's sonic cannon.

"Try the Tower then!" Robin called as he gunned the motor on his cycle and shot past a bus, "I'm doing that now..." said Victor as he threaded the T-car through traffic, at high speed… "What is it Victor?" Starfire asked as her face appeared on the Heads Up Display, "Star! I can't reach Cassie, Kon, or Raven! Try to get a'hold of em' if you can!" suddenly Cyborg slammed his hand down on a small blue button and held on tight, as the car leapt into the air… over the top of a mini-van full overjoyed little kids and a very shocked mom and dad… "Ungh!" Cyborg grunted as the car landed on the far side of the intersection leaving a set of tire and metal marks on the street, "Why are you not with our friends Cyborg?" inquired Corry, Cyborg answered with gritted teeth: "Rob, an I got side-tracked stopping an assassination attempt on Mayor Reilly, and we can't seem to reach the others…" "Starfire!" Robin interrupted, "Get Bart over to the rock NOW!"

Back at Titians Tower… 

"BART!" Shouted Starfire, Bart Allen was at her side before the echo reached her ears, "The Island?" he asked looking out the window, "GO!" was all she had to say, and Bart Allen was running across the bay and out to the open sea, headed for Alcatraz at well over the speed of sound…

Above Alcatraz, that same time… 

"Do you hear that?" Super Boy asked as the four supers started flying toward the tower, "Yeah, you mean the loud splashy whooshing sound…" asked Max, "…or the sound of that planes fuel pump failing?" he pointed over to a large passenger jet, taking off from SFO, a few miles away… "Wha?!?" was all Conner got out before Cassie blasted by at top speed, straight for the plane… "Great… it's Bart!" Raven said, as she looked down at the ocean, seeing Kid Flash, blur around the island, looking for his teammates, and kicking up a froth of sea foam. Raven turned to Kon-El; "Go and help Cassie Kon, I'll go tell Bart what's happened. You…" she looked at Max for a split second then continued: "…stay here, and don't do _anything_. I don't want to drown or die because _you_ made me pass out…" Max arched his eye brows and replied; "Yes mam." He didn't see Raven scowl as she dived for the surface of the earth…

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Sorry but I'll just have to leave you hanging…

I'm trying to keep each chapter under 2500 words and so far, I've done just that, and this sets me up for a great surprise in the next chapter! What is it? Well huh! Read it when it comes out! In the mean time? R&R please!


	6. MAYDAY!

So, here's the next chapter guys, I re-worked it even though it wasn't a lot of fun in places. I hope it's as good as it can be now…

I of course own only Knight Blade, Moon Beam, Blue Lightning, Warlord, Pyro, and Owl, everything else is WB/DC and or hearsay… enjoy!

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_Raven turned to Kon-El; "Go and help Cassie Kon, I'll go tell Bart what's happened. You…" she looked at Max for a split second then continued: "…stay here, and don't do anything. I don't want to drown or die cause you made me pass out…" _

_Max arched his eyebrows and replied; "Yes mam." He didn't see Raven scowl as she dived for the surface of the earth…_

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_Aboard flight 342, to Seattle…_

"John, the temp on number two's a bit high and the fuel flow is starting to flux again…" Captain Jonathon Lawry looked over at his copilot and rolled his eyes, "Well what do want me to do about it Mike? Step out, pop the hood and see if the belts are loose?" Mike Anderson laughed and shook his head, "No dummy, just remind me to bring the auxiliary's off stand by once we…" he stopped talking and started turning knobs and flipping switches as the plane started shaking slightly, "Never mind! Number two just quit on us!" as Mike started the engine restart protocol on his control panel, captain Lawry radioed the tower, explaining the situation, when a small explosion shook the plane and stopped its climb… "This is Sky Blue flight 342, declaring an emergency!"

_Meanwhile…_

"Thank you Bart," Raven said as she started hovering, cracked Com unit in hand, above the ground, looking off toward her friends and the now smoking plane "But that's the first thing I thought of after we hit that force field, now go back and help Robin and Cyborg grab the gunmen." "K' Bye!" Kid Flash shouted over his shoulder as he raced away, "And contact them on your way!" Raven shouted after him as she now took fully to the air, "Hey Raven!" _Girr! What now_? She thought to her self as the blue new comer floated lazily on his back above her. He was looking over in the direction of Titans Tower, "What?" she answered still fighting a sick stomach and a headache, he rolled over and pointed, at Titans island; "You want that I should go and wait for everyone at your tower?" she gritted her teeth, and hissed at him "No… come with me, and help us with that plane… And try not to kill me in the process…" He smirked at her, eyebrows cocked, "K."

_Flight 342_…

"This bucket of bolts is going to go down in the drink if we can't get that engine started up!" Captain Lawry shouted over the blast of warning tones as the plane began slowly descending, "Well I'm trying!" Anderson yelled back as the plane started bumping up and down slightly… "What tha' hell?"

Outside… 

"KON! Stop playing around and grab the plane!" Kon-El, looked at his girlfriend and rolled his eyes, "WHAT, do you think I'm TRYING to DO!" and once more the plane slipped out of his hands, and once more he slapped his hands onto the underside of the plane, Cassie was growing more and more impatient, "Don't baby it! Punch some handholds in there and get it to the airport!" she yelled at him as she flew around looking for any other signs of trouble, seeing none, she flew back up to Super Boy and watched as he slowly drilled two hand holds into the planes aluminum skin with his heat vision, "I hope your happy now…" he muttered under his breath, grabbing the plane and lifting, "Go and signal the cockpit that we're here and are helping them!" Cassie nodded and flew up towards the front of the plane… just in time to see the glint of sunlight off the fin of a small missile, homing in on the faltering aircraft, her eyes flashed in horror; '_Ooohhh shit…'_ breathed Wonder Girl to herself…

_1500 ft. above the Pacific, three miles away…_

"Can you fly any faster?" Max asked Raven as they flew at the now smoking aircraft, "If I have to, yes, but Super Boy and Wonder Girl, have it well in hand…" Max screamed over her; "They have the _plane_, but not the missile tracking it!" "_What!?!"_ Raven yelled as the glowing blue figure accelerated away from her, and flew towards a far off dot in the sky…

_Meanwhile, in Titans Tower…_

"Kvorata!" Starfire cursed under her breath, as Moon Beam shot straight up in bed holding her head and moaning as loose objects began flying about and exploding with bursts of air "Please tell your friend to stop, with the blowing up of the Medical room!" Starfire shouted, as a box of bandages flung its self across the room, spilling its contents everywhere, "Karen baby! Karen, I'm here, it's okay! We found the Titans, but you're still hurt…" the frantic girl stopped just long enough to open her eyes and lock her gaze on the face and voice of her friend, "Wha?!? What, are we…" she swallowed hard and started looking around the room, "…we're in Titans' Tower?" Jason nodded with a smile; "We did babe, where safe…" Moon Beam let a single word slip softly from her lips, but it was so quiet, that neither Corry or Jason caught it, "What?" asked Jason as he walked up to her bedside, "Max?" was all she said a her dark green eyes started faded into gray spheres "I don't know, Karen, he was trying to keep Warlord and the others away…"

"NO! Jase, he's in danger!" Starfire floated over and held up her communicator; "Can you fight?" she looked at the two refugees with the dead serious look of a warrior in need of help, "I can…" answered Jason as his clothes started to glow and morph into armor, "…and I will…" said Moon Beam, her hair and skin now a burnished sliver color… "Then follow me!" and with that, Starfire blasted out of the now open window of the Med-center, leading them with a green stream of energy trailing behind her…

_Outside of flight 342…_

"MISSILE!" the instant Conner Kent heard that simple, two syllable word, he dove for the deck… all while holding on to a two hundred ton passenger jet, he also started heating up as much water with his heat vision as he could, in hopes that the missile was a heat seeker, and that the steam he was making might throw it off… He was not so lucky, the missile was an old radar guided sparrow2 and the parent ship's radar had the passenger jet lit up like Times Square at new years… in other words it could not possibly miss…

_A half mile away, over the Pacific…_

'_DAMM! DAMM! DAMM!_' thought Max to himself as he saw the missile's smoke trail come ever closer to the big jet, now diving downwards at a very, _very_ dangerous speed and angle…

Suddenly an image flashed into his mind and just as fast a large blue sphere appeared around the now falling aircraft, protecting it from the projectile… and draining even more energy from a already tiring body…

But that was not an area of great concern for Max as he quickly flew up to Wonder Girl's side and grabbed her lasso, which was now rapped around the middle of the plane, and started pulling with her; "You know this may just bent and or break this airplane in half right?" he asked as the plane now started rising slowly, "Well I can't get a hold of it any other way!" she shouted back at him, "So sue me!" they then heard Super Boy yelling at them from underside of the plane: "Mind NOT getting a hundred some odd people killed today? KNOCK IT OFF up there!"

Suddenly, Max let go of the lasso and turned around and shouted over his shoulder: "I'm gonna go and nail the jerk what did this!"

Before anyone could react, a large bolt of blue fire rocketed away, towards an unknown enemy…

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Authors note: Tune in next time, and I'll tell you who's gonna be in the crossover Via Spoiler!


	7. of OCD & randomness: No joking

Whew! Well I hope that everyone's enjoying this ride so far, cause it's about to curve round' and go the other way… you've had almost nonstop action of one kind or another for like what? Five (5!) chapters? Well now, I'll start into how the Titans plan to live with their new guests/allies… after I square this little bit of action up.

And Slade? Heh heh heh… here he is everybody…

And BTW: I'm going over 2500 words on this one… way over… and I think that's a good thing… and that's why it took soo darn long for me to update!

So, who all's in the crossover? Well, you'll just have to wait and see… Ha! Suffer! Lolz!

Special thanx 2: Cyberwraith9 and beautifulpurpleflame, for the TT FanFic's that inspire me and help me get into the heads of these awesome heroes, and aeolus06 for his artwork and permission to use Young Lantern… y'all rock hard core!

Also thanx 2 and for info and even more inspiration…

I own Knight Blade, Blue Lightning, Moon Beam, Pyro, Warlord, Owl, and Morph,

Everything else is DC/WB/CN/ and the aforementioned web user aeolus06…

Thanx 4 reading and as alwas, enjoy! eastsidebebop

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…_They then heard Super Boy yelling at them from underside of the plane: "Mind NOT getting a hundred some odd people killed today? KNOCK IT OFF up there!"_

_Suddenly, Max let go of the lasso and turned around and shouted over his shoulder: "I'm gonna go and nail the jerk what did this!" _

_Before anyone could react, a large bolt of blue fire rocketed away, towards an unknown enemy…_

-------------------

Darkness, somewhere underground, San Francisco…

"Tha' blue guys coming." Nothing. The red haired teen looked over at a tall, black clad figure, sitting on a small, almost royal like platform covered in various electronic gear… "That's the one me n' Warlord told you about, he can find us cause I'm here! We can hear each other's heartbeats man! And he can hear your drone's radio frequency!" "Silence." A refined, soft, almost soothing voice surged forth from the masked man: "I have dealt with super powered youths like yourself and your blue flaming, thorn-in-the-flesh, for most of my adult life. I am now nearer fifty and older than all of my… shall we say collogues…" he never moved as, a single eye, his left one, opened; "…so do not think that I am without knowledge … or resources …" the tone he used was even, measured, and full of cunning evil… The red teen then turned his back on the sinister being and started to walk away; "What are you doing?" the evil voice asked in an almost fatherly tone, "I'm going to go and check on Warlord… and maybe get outta here…" he muttered under his breath, "now that owl's dead…" The dark figure suddenly appeared like a shadow, next to the red headed teen walking in step with him. "…We need to find some…" Pyro turned his head, seeing his host materialize next to him, "…new friends… how in hell did you do that?" the teen stopped and looked the slightly taller man square in the eye of his two-tone mask as it replied: "My dear boy, your friend and former mentor will, within the hour, be either as fit and strong as ever, or dead."

The simple, flatly stated declaration left the fiery young villain speechless.

Above the San Francisco skyline, that very moment…

The sound of a heartbeat, and a soft pulsing radio signal was all that was in the forefront mind of a being that can, literally, talk and listen to technology… it guided him to a place where a communications tower stands tall on a small hill, in the corner of a 1 acre lot of a suburban office building…

The signals, and the sound of an enemy heart, are as strong as ever now, ringing in his ears as he compartmentalizes the flood of input his senses are giving him, it takes a few seconds to clear his head, organize his thoughts, and focus on the two things he wants to listen to…

And then _it_ pops into his head… a smell… one that triggers an unwanted memory… a tormenting inter-demon that haunts him for all of one of his rapid heart beats… a face… a scream… blood… helplessness… _anger_… sorrow… he forces it all away and then blows the tower up with a quick burst of pure, blue energy from his eyes…

And with that, a small drone aircraft appears just a few hundred yards from the stricken passenger plane, and then just as fast, falls from the sky, into the Frisco bay…

Underground…

The sound breaking metal carried into the deep, manmade cavern, but the evil father figure spoke as if it where simply raining; "I believe it is best if we leave now. We do not wish to tip our hand as of yet." The statement shook Pyro out of his shocked line of thought; "Well that's what I've been saying…" he spat out a small bit of flame onto the floor, "However," the deep, soft timber of the voice behind the mask was drawing Pyro towards a small door, "We must be ready, for the next time we meet. And by that, I mean _you_." Pyro did a double take, "Me? Next time?" but there was no one there to answer…

Overhead…

Raven was now battling a full-blown migraine, yet even so, she had found a portal that led her to the side of the cause of her pain, a very powerful, (and in her mind very troublesome,) blue super, hovering over a totaled radio-tower and looking slightly out of breath. She heard him mutter to himself: "Damm it… now I can't back trace the feed…"

She slid up next to him and spoke: "What is all this about? Why did you do that?"

He looked over at her and answered, "I just stopped the drone that shot at the passenger jet… but now I don't know where the source is…" he slowly floated down to the ground and sat on a overturned shipping crate, as Raven slowly approached him, she felt a nothingness trying to contain his true emotions, which where churning about furiously… then, they seemed to calm…

Max felt the empathic void that was Raven, float down next to him and search his mind out, it felt like a soft mental grope, but he knew it was not from any nervous innocence on her part, but from her respect for others privacy…

_Well screw _that… he thought to himself, _If she or any of the other Titan is gonna trust and help me, then _she_ needs to know what I am…_

Raven overheard an internal argument going on inside his mind, as to what about, she did not probe for… so it came as a shock when his voice invaded her thoughts, from the _in_side… "I'm not here to make trouble, just to save my friends." She fairly jumped, yet he made no movement… instantly she was mad, _He's in my head!_ But Max didn't hear her telekinck reply; "Get out." "Um, you'll have to open your mouth and ears so we can talk." He answered, she turned and faced him; "Fine. Now get out." He nodded, "I'm out. Cause I was never in. I can only broadcast, not receive, what you heard, was me thinking very loudly. Now I need you to listen and hopefully vouch for me in front of the other Titans." She cocked her head slightly and nodded, "Well see."

_Elsewhere in, Jump City..._

"Dude, this just sucks…" Beast Boy muttered to himself as he tried, unsuccessfully, to get himself free of the metal-mesh net hanging from a hook and chain in the middle of a large warehouse, as to where he was, he wasn't sure, his head was throbbing and he was a bit sore, but it smelled like he hadn't left Jump City…

Not that it mattered, cause at the moment, he was looking at another round of taunting and torture at the hands of the Joker. "Tell me green bean," the voice came from behind Logan, so he shifted around, trying to face the demented clown, "how's life been treating ya'?" Beast Boy just stared at the thin, pale green haired man… "Well? Are you and ms. spooky answering any, how do you say it?" thin hands rubbed across an equally thin face in mock thought, "Booty calls?" the sarcasm was thick enough to choke on, and Garfield almost did, "Going to answer?" the purple clad, tormenter asked arching an eyebrow ridiculously high. Logan set his jaw, letting his lower canines poke out of his lips, which where pressed together in a bored frown, then replied: "No." "No?" the crazy villains eyebrows switched places; "No what? No you can't get laid? Or 'No I'm not gonna answer you!'? Or is it: 'no, I don't understand the question.'?" Garfield then had a crazy brilliant thought cross his mind and he leapt on it like a staving wolf on a sick lamb: "How about this J-man: No and Yes, Yes and No. Never, maybe, sometimes I'm crazy, just like now, you will die if you talk about Raven, in my presence again, cause I'll gut you, and eat your insides myself. Let me go, and I let you live… any questions Joker baby?" Beast Boy then took a deep breath, winked at Joker, and started drooling with a wicked hungry grin on his face.

The Joker just stood there in shock for a few moments, blinking, trying to understand all that he'd heard, and digesting all that the slim, trim green changeling had just spewed forth… "Damm…" Joker whispered, "You're certifiable aren't you? Harley!" "Yeah muster J?" a curvy, red, and black clad woman glided up to the Jokers side and took a hold of his arm, looking up at him with puppy eyes, "Harl's I think we grabbed the wrong wonder kid here, he just said that he was gonna eat me!" If Logan thought that his plan was going to work before, he knew it wasn't going to now, incredulous, sarcastic laughter was flowing from the twisted clowns mouth like a busted toilet overflowing everywhere… this was not how Garfield Logan was planning to spend his day. "Great… just great… Raven, I hope your mind is listening, cause' mine's screaming as loud as it can…"

_Nearby…_

"The distress signal from Beast Boy's com-unit came from inside one of the rooms in that building." Starfire, pointed to an old, abandoned storage and freight building, in the older part of north Jump City, "So… we go in?" asked Jason, pulling his sword from the scabbard on his back, Starfire nodded, "Yes, but we tell Robin what's going on first." She held up her com-unit and called Robin; "Starfire Calling Robin, are you there Robin?" a beep and Robins face showed up on the small view screen, "What's up Star? And why are you not in the tower?" Kory explained; "My com-unit got a panic signal from Beast Boy, so Knight Blade and Moon Beam came with me to look for him. Can you get here in time to back us up?" Robins forehead furrowed, the eyes of his mask narrowed down, "Cyborg and I just got the would-be assassins wrapped up and are waiting for the police, but I'm on my way now and Cyborg will follow as soon as he can. Try to raise Raven or Kid Flash, knowing Bart, he's at the tower wondering why you're not there, give it five minuets then go in." Starfire nodded, "Understood." Robins' face softened, "Be Careful Star… Robin out." Starfire turned and faced her new, untested, spur-of-the-moment, teammates; "We will watch and wait for the next five minuets, then we go in and find Beast Boy." Jason nodded then asked: "So do we want to sneak in and search everything carefully, or do we rush in and take whoever's in there by surprise?" Starfire looked back at the old, rundown building and spoke: "I believe Beast Boy to be in great danger… We will be cautious and quiet when we enter, but when the time comes, we will not hold back…" Moon Beam spoke up next; "I can project my self over and scope out the building while we wait if you want."

Starfire thought for a moment, "Can you do this without anyone seeing you?" The silver-gray girl nodded: "Yes, unless they have telekinic powers, I won't even cast a shadow in there." Moon Beam started glowing a soft grey, "Want me to go now?" The Tamaranian warrior nodded her approval. "Okay, here I go…" with that, the glowing girl slowly faded into what looked like a light vapor, and floated into the building…

Inside…

"AHHHHGG!" in the world of Garfield Logan was but one word: pain. "You know," The Joker, said as he started walking around, nonchalantly tossing a large ugly tazer up and down in his hand, "For a motor-mouth like you to not say anything, given your current position, is very puzzling…" The thin white skinned man pointed the weapon at the now twitching, green teen, and depressed the trigger, sending another wave of raw electricity into his now limp muscles. This time, Beast Boy did little more that moan softly, "Are the batteries running low already?" Joker asked, frowning at the black device in his hand, "Oh well, I can make do." And with that, he pulled a small blackjack out of his purple jacket, tested the weight of it, then delivered three quick, savage blows to Beast Boy's body. _I don't know how much more of this I can take!_ Logan thought to him self, as he stared thinking of some way to get out of the net, "I'm glad I got that fancy EMP doohickey, it impedes your brain waves and makes it next to impossible for you to use your powers, neat huh?" the Joker started cackling, as he brought the blackjack up for another blow…

Nearby, a slim gray mist covered her ears and closed her eyes as the blackjack connected with Beast Boys side, yet even so she could not help but hear the whoosh of air, the crack of bone, and the agonized moan of a hero being tortured…

Outside…

Jason shifted his weight and pulled his sword, then spoke to the Titan in front of him, "We must get in there _now_, the Joker is beating the hell outta Beast Boy, and Moon Beam doesn't know how much longer he can last before he breaks or is killed." Starfire nodded, not questioning the link between the two young supers, she punched a small button on her com-unit, "We go now, I have a lock on Beast Boys com-unit, it's weak, but I can follow it." Jason shook his head no, "We don't need it, Moon Beam has him sighted, and I can follow her mental beacon right there, follow me…" with that, Jason, leapt into the air, back-flipped and dove down at the roof of the building feet first, Starfire right behind him star-bolts at the ready…

Three blocks away…

Tim Drake just _knew_ that this was some kind of set up. Every fiber of his mind was convinced of it, every instinct he ever possessed was screaming it, his immaculately conditioned body expected it, and indeed every part of his masterfully trained being knew it as sure as it knew day from night, hot from cold and pleasure from pain… _This has simply _got _to be a trap…_ He pulled the brake lever on the R-cycle, allowing the front tire to grip the pavement, tilting the vehicle forward; he shifted his weight to the right and swung out. The red bike slowed to a scant five miles per hour, allowing him to make the ninety-degree turn instantly, the rear tire came down on the street and robin snapped the throttle open. The engine instantly replied with a surge of thrust, and soon Robin was streaking down the narrow alleyway at a furious sixty-five miles-per-hour, then he let the cycle coast the last block up to the old building… right where he was suppose to meet Star, only, she wasn't there. It was then that he heard a crashing sound somewhere above him, looking up he saw Star hovering over the roof of the old warehouse, as a plume of dust and wood splinters shot up in front of her slender form. _Well it is ONLY the Joker!_ "Damm…" Robin muttered to himself as he leapt through an open window, landing with a soft bump in an old office, covered in a good four-inch layer of dust, like a shadow, he moved along the hallways skirting the walls…

_No real plan… great…_ well it was not the first time, and it would most certainly not be the last…

Over southern San Francisco…

"What do you mean?" Raven asked as she and Max flew slowly towards Jump City, "What I mean is that I can turn my blue energy into matter, and I can reverse the process, turning matter into energy." Raven nodded, "So, how do you recharge… It? If it's like the Green Lanterns plasma energy force, then you need to recharge somehow right?" He smiled at her and patted his stomach, "Sleeping helps a lot, but it's mainly food." Raven stared for a while, and then commented; "You must eat more than Kid Flash…" arching his eyebrows he asked; "Is that a bad thing?" "Depends." She turned, facing ahead as they neared the city limits.

"Anything else you can do?" she called over her shoulder, as he flew up next to her, "Well… Other than the Electro and Pyro-kinesis and my blue energy, I guess all I got is my Tecno-kinesis…" her eye brows arched slightly at that, "What is that?" he furrowed his brow and twisted his lips up, "Well, It means that I can interface with electronics and technology like that. I can make it a part of me, I can fix it, I can use it, all of that and more ya' know?" The dark heroine smirked at him, "So you're basically a human universal remote huh?" Max tossed his head back and laughed, for the first time in a while… "Yeah, something like that…"

_Jump City…_

"Oh, goodie, bird boy and friends are here!" Joker dropped a razor sharp knife back into whatever pocket or sheath it had come from, as the ceiling crashed in revealing a tall dust covered knight with a nasty looking sword, a very pissed off Tamaranian Princess, and a deathly silent boy wonder "Care to swap stories from school? Oh, wait! I'm too old for school! Well then I guess then I can teach you youngsters' a lesson!"

In a blur of motion, Joker pulled a pair of deadly fighting knifes from his sleeves, and took an aggressive fighting stance, arms crossed over, ready to block or slash on a whim… light spilled into the once dark room from the "skylight" Jason had made, and dust hung in the swirling air, catching the light… _Click!_

"Sorry honey, but your boned." Everyone froze and Starfire gasped as Harley Quinn held a large black automatic pistol to the small of her back, forcing her down to earth slowly, "Now a shot there won't kill, but it _will _maim, and just might paralyze… Care to find out?" Starfire slowly shook her hear no, and raised her hands, letting the green orbs of energy melt back into her hands. "Oh come on now Robin, play nice birdie! Drop your gizmos and the belt!" Robin gritted his teeth and complied, slowly. "And whoever you're suppose to be," Joker pointed at Knight Blade with one of his knifes, "…put the sword down, _now_." Knight Blade hesitated for a moment looking around at the situation and finding no ready opening, looked back at the Joker, who leered "Are you hard of hearing?" and swiftly he threw the knife in his right hand at Starfire, hitting her in her left forearm… Starfire's gasp of pain snapped Knight Blade into action, at the same time as Robin; in a flash of bodies Robin dove at Joker's face while Knight Blade took his legs out from under him. At the same time, Knight Blade's sword sung through the air and sliced the pistol pointed at Starfire, apart just above the handle… No sooner, did that happen then Moon Beam materialized in-between Harley Quinn and Starfire, in the perfect place to land a solid right cross into the middle of the painted hussies face. Moments later, Joker leapt away from the two skilled crime-fighters, grabbed Harley Quinn, and disappeared in a cloud of green smoke… "Grab Gar and run!" Robin shouted, as the smoke turned into an acidic cloud, and began eating into the walls of the room. With a shout, Starfire tried to blast the top of the net, but her star bolt fizzled slightly and only scorched the metal mesh webbing, "EMP emitter!" Beast Boy called out, "It impedes brainwaves, messing with powers!" _Clang!_ In a single swipe, Jason cut through the net, and grabbed the green changeling, dashing for the far wall, "YAHHH!" bursting outside Knight Blade, rolled across an overhang, Garfield in his arms, and landed safely in the street, three stories below… moments later, the other young heroes, landed next to him, breathing a bit quickly…

"I never… want to see… that clown… again!" Starfire spit out as she slowly pulled the knife out of her forearm, her green blood spurting slightly from the wound.

"You and me both Star…" Beast Boy said as he stood shakily between Robin and Knight Blade, "You, and me be both…"

---------------------------------------------------

So just who or what is Max really, and does Raven have a thing for him?

What was Joker after and is there a connection with the masked villain and Joker?

Is the masked villain Slade, and if so how is he even alive?

And if Raven and Beast Boy are really that close, why did Raven not pick up on Beast Boys distress?

Wait and see my dear lovely readers, wait and see…


	8. Welcome home rookies…

The Titans kicked butt, and took the Joker down a peg, but are there now more questions than answers? Other than "why did you let him get away?!?"

Well, you be the judge!

And Yes I know that Blackfire's name is really Komand'r, but that's DC canon and then Blackfire can't fly like in the TV show…

And that's the basic template for the characters in this story… TV… just don't umk?

Also note: Jump City is located right between San Francisco and Los Angeles… about where a small town called Plaskett is now… check it out on Google maps if you must…

Do I really have to say this? I own only the OC timeline and the OCC's and nothing from DC, WB, CN & aeolus06, you have already known about that before reading this dog gone it! eastsidebebop

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"_I never… want to see… that clown… again!" Starfire spit out as she slowly pulled the knife out of her forearm, her green blood spurting slightly from the wound._

"_You and me both Star…" Beast Boy said as he stood shakily between Robin and Knight Blade, "You me and be both…"_

-------------------------------------

Chapter 8: Welcome home rookies…

_Titans tower…_

As the Titans and their charges slowly made there way into the common room, Cyborg summed up the day's events for everyone; "Well, that was interesting…" Robin rolled his head around trying to loosen up his neck, but gave up after just a few rotations. Starfire _walked,_ rather than floated, over to one of the padded ottomans by the couch and flopped across it, letting her long red hair fall all over herself and the floor.

Beast Boy, was limping slowly behind Super Boy and Wonder Girl, and leaning on Raven and Kid Flash, gave a small, toothy grin: "Well, we're all alive and here ain't we? Well I guess I'm half alive but that counts right?" "Shut up Gar." Raven said wearily as she sat down with his bandaged form on the large, U shaped couch, he looked at her with a small smile on his face, "Sorry Rae," he turned to the three newbie's standing in the adjacent kitchen, "Thanks for the help you guys, I owe ya'." Jason nodded as Max wearily sat down on a barstool at the back of the kitchen counter, Karen walked up to him and put a sisterly hand on his arm, "Are you okay Max? You look, well, spent." Slowly he nodded, and closed his eyes, laying his head down on the cool marble top; "I'm starving and dehydrated Kare, so yeah, I'm basically spent." Moon Beam looked at the sink and cabinets, a question mark on her face, Cyborg spoke up; "Far right cabinet, bottom two shelves, big plastic cups." She smiled softly and nodded, "Thank you." Stone waved her off, "Don't mention it, after that rescue, I'd say you as good as in, so you might as well know where the stinkn' dishes are." Suddenly the far door opened and a familiar voice spoke; "Evenin' loves, heavy day?" "Argent!" Starfire leapt up and flung her self at the small, pale gothic heroine, "Star!" Argent wrapped her slim arms around the Tamaranian's neck and squeezed for all she was worth, "How wonderful to see you my friend!" Starfire bubbled as she let the poor girl resume breathing. The young Aussie, kindly pecked the bronze skinned extraterrestrial on the cheek and replied: "And it's wicked sweet to see ya' Shelia'! How's life gang?" the mumbled response was less that overwhelming; "Crap!" "Sux…" Drama much!" "Ditto…" "Don't ask…" "…" The petite energy bender, flopped into one of the open lazy-boys, and crossed her arms, "Bullocks! You're full o' yer selves! With half of the worlds baddies behind bars how bad can it…" Starfire held out her bandaged arm, "Robin and I and our new friends…" she indicated the three rookies in the kitchen, with a back handed gesture; "…had to rescue Beast Boy from the Joker! And it was most unpleasant!" "Yeah, Argent," Logan said as Raven continued to heal his ribs, "I got electrocuted, beaten and mentally abused! BY THE JOKER!" Raven pinched Garfield on the arm and hissed in his ear "Gar behave! She didn't know!" he growled softly, then nodded. Robin spoke up then; "So Argent, how are things with Titans Pacifica?" the pale sixteen year old, grinned slightly, "Well Aqualad, is always worked up about over fishing, of course." Wonder Girl nodded, as Argent continued, "Tramm is fine but I hope that Speedy will work out okay, he does constantly get on Aqulad's nerves, and he hits on me and brings me candy…" "Must be really hard on you…" Raven observed neutrally. It was a well known fact that Argent was _very_ picky, even though she was a shameless tease, and she had at one point considered being nonsexual, and was very open about her viewpoint… "Ehh, it's gotten better as of late, but it's like a year old Joey! But still, he's saved my bum out there more than once so I'll give him that." Argent looked over at the new comers in the kitchen, "So Robin, who are the rooks'?" Robin stood and walked over the kitchen and got him self a drink from the refrigerator, as he spoke; "Well, right now there our guests, but as soon as we get them registered with the N.S.A. there our new trainees… So Argent, meet Lightning, Knight Blade, and Moon Beam." Argent got up and walked over to the three guests and stuck out her hand, "Well let me be the next to welcome you all into the Titans." Knight Blade kindly shook her hand and smiled warmly, flashing his perfect teeth and slight dimples, "Nice to meet _you_ Argent…" he took her hand and lightly kissed it all the while looking into her shiny rust colored eyes, "… If you ever need anything, anything at all, just tag me." Argent blushed slightly, and arched her eyebrows, "Not very subtle are we?" "Stealth may be in his vocabulary," Moon Beam answered, smiling as she shook hands, "but so's blunt force trauma…" Knight Blade turned three shades of red. Argent turned and faced Lightning a smirk on her face, as she looked him over, liking what she saw, "You Americans like to make everything big don't you?" Max arched his eyebrow and gently shook her hand, "Yeah, something like that, nice to meet you…" Max then dropped his voice to the volume of a loud thought: "Sorry 'love', you may be my type, but something tells me you're not legal yet. No dice." Argent took a deep breath, taking in his scent, '_yumm…wood spice and earth_…' she flashed him her most seductive smile, her eyes smoldering, a trick she used on Speedy all the time; "There's no age statute in international waters _dingo_…" her voice was barely audible, a husky whisper in his face, carrying her soft scent over to his heightened senses, the exchange passed in an instant, and no one seemed to catch it. " Well aren't you a kind one." She said aloud, looking him over once more before turning back to the rest of the group… "Well, I just came to grab the nifty red archer from greeny and company so we can head back to base. He said he'd be here." "He's proly' over at Titans two, getting ready for th' night shift." Cyborg answered as he got himself up and walked toward the door to the common bathroom. Argent bristled; "That bum! He forgot I bet…" by this point Robin, Super Boy, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash had gone into the kitchen and where in various stages of finding and eating dinner, Robin spoke up, "Well you and Aqualad can stay here or with Young Lantern in tower two if you want." "Oh do please stay Argent!" Starfire asked as she stepped around the back of the couch. Argent smiled, "Now how can I deny my Shelia? Where's the popping corn B.B.?" Logan twisted around and pointed, "Lower cupboard, under the microwave, big blue box."

"They seem to get along ok… think we may fit n?" Karen's text message read on Jason's cell phone and in Max's minds eye, with a thought Karen's cell phone buzzed softly with his reply: "dunno, we'll c soon nuf." "Pull up a chair and get some food dudes." Beast Boy said as he and Raven walked over to the table and sat down. The three rookies nodded, went over to the table, and sat down to eat…

_The next morning…_

In the place between slumber and wakefulness, a girls mind recites comfort to calm her soul…

'_Sweet sleep…Soft dreams… Safety and food…my boys take care of me don't they…'_

The early morning sunlight played across the small bedroom through the space in between the curtains, and spilled onto the poetic face of one Karen De'Nozo, interrupting her subconscious train of thought, and gently spurring her into a pleasant state of wakefulness. Sitting up slowly, Karen took a deep breath and looked around the small room that had been given her last night; not much more than fifteen by twenty feet and a ten foot ceiling, with a door in the far corner leading to the small bathroom, soft blues and grays covered the walls. A simple wooden desk and two rolling office armchairs sat against the wall down from the bed, and across the wall was the sliding door, leading out into the hallway… sighing, Karen pushed the large puffy gray comforter down off her slim legs and slid out of the bed. Standing up in her underwear, she slowly began stretching, first touching her toes, then twisting, and then pulling her legs up and around various ways until she finished. Her light green eyes drifted over to the large by tall chest-of-drawers and her tattered costume on top of it. "Crap it." The suit had seen better days, the arms where gone, the fitted midriff little more than ribbons, the left leg was missing up to the mid thigh point, the right leg had a rip that went from the knee up just past the hip… "It's _junk_…" somehow De'Nozo didn't remember her suit being quite this, well _trashy_, but her modest yet complex sense of style dictated that she be covered _and_ comfortably practical in her suit, _"Modesty becomes beauty, like color becomes art!"_ her father had told her more than once and she had taken it to heart… _'D__addy… I miss you… So much… No… he would want me to stay strong!'_ Karen bit her lower lip, and closed her eyes… her heart feeling out her mind, her imagination pulling her into the innermost parts of her soul... She saw two faces in her minds eye, her boys, smiling, Jason loved her, and Max loved her but try as she might, she knew that she loved one of them… deeper some how… They had been her family, her brothers, and her best friends for four years now and never had she thought of either of them in any other way… until…

Two months ago she and Jason had been waiting for Max to bring back food, talking when the subject of children came up… Karen said that she didn't know if she wanted to have children, or if she'd ever be able to even get married, due to her powers and her wanting to become a hero, Then Jason told her that he wanted kids, but that he'd only want to marry if he could marry another super… Then it got quite awkward… he looked into her eyes, she blushed, he got very nervous and she turned her head, and tried to change the subject… then Max came into the hotel room they had all been sharing, and handed them their food, with a baffled look on his face… Naturally, that started her off on a train of thought that she had never _ever_ even considered, much less pursued, and it now had her mulling over her relationships with the two boys in ways that, a year or so earlier, she would have found border-line disgusting… _'Jason's a bit wild, but he's loyal and kind… like Max, but Max is so selfless… and then Jason's a flirt… but he's quite romantic too, and very sweet…' _Karen smiled to herself, _'__But Max is so very gentile and chivalrous…'_

Lots of pros but, ever the "little sister" she also knew about her boys faults… '_But then Jason has that devious streak… still… Max has… _

_That _temper_ of his…' _Karen shuddered at that thought, she had heard of him killing Black Owl, and even though it might be slightly justifiable… she also knew it was not the first time he had killed, and somewhere inside, she knew it would not be the last…

'_Oh boys… what am I gonna do?_'' She knew that their destiny's where intertwined, just not how… 'C_ruel FATE!'_ And, so now she felt that she and Jason where quite close, even with his flirting, and she felt drawn toward Max ever so slightly… she frowned, "Damm hormones… screwing up a good thing!" and with that she dropped her tattered super-suit back onto the chest-of-drawers and waked over the nightstand, grabbing her small purse… Moon Beam shook her head as she pulled her cell phone out and sent a txt message to Max requesting some of her clothes from the backpack…

Raven cupped her tea in her hands and slowly walked over to the couch, enjoying the calm of the morning, and the sunlight filtering through the windows… the glare was just enough to mask the sight of Max sleeping on the couch. No sooner had Raven realized that Max was there then she dropped her cup of tea, then bending over to pick up the heavy stoneware mug, she brushed against his arm, hanging off the edge… instantly she was pulled into his dream, and for some reason, she couldn't get out… Raven stood in the middle of an empty plain, a small sobbing noise to her left, turning she saw on the far horizon, a shape low to the ground…

So, she started walking… then she started flying, soon however she came upon a box, or rather a television… standing there it suddenly exploded silently into a quiet neighborhood street…

And there walking along the sidewalk, was Max… a younger, skinnier _much_ shorter Max, but Max none the less, walking down the sidewalk, holding the hand of a young girl, not much more than ten years old. At first Raven thought it was Karen, but her hair was dark brown, just like Max's… she over heard them talking: "But you promised bubba! You promised!" "But Maggie-pie, it can't be helped," Max's voice was higher, and slightly cracked, "they need my help and that's the only day that we can enter the contest, mama said that we'll have your party early anyway." Max looked down at the little girl smiling kindly, as she pouted; "but it's not the same…" Max stopped walking and knelt down, "Look, how a bout' I take you out to Grif's for lunch? Just you and me, I'll even get you a double, double chocolate milkshake, sound good Maggie?" the little girl looked up with big blue shiny eyes, "You mean it, for really?" He smiled a big goofy smile, "For really…" he stood up and kissed her on top of her head… Raven felt the warmth and calmness of the emotions wash over her… it felt good and calmed her slightly addled nerves… Then she heard it, something like a car stereo, booming, she didn't think much of it until the happy surroundings started turning and swirling and the sky turned a dark red color… everything seemed to warp into a sad shadowy fake… Then, in a flash of noise and screams; Raven felt herself being torn apart and run-through all at the same time as the emotions flipped to horror, fear and panic…

"M-m-Maggie? Maggie, say something!" the small girl lay on the ground in front of Raven, her slim, frail body shivering, her left arm ripped to tatters, a hole the size of a baseball in her stomach, blood pooled on the street, soaking into Max's clothes, and seemingly tinting the sky ever darker… "M-Max… Bubba…" her tiny voice tore at Ravens heart and soul… "I'm sorry… I, I didn't whatch out…" "No Maggie, it was my fault!" Max wailed as he tried to stop the bleeding and failed… "Bubba… promise me… that… you'll never…" and the spark in her blue eyes faded, as Max crumpled over her and cried a crushed, soul rending cry…

In a painful flash, Raven found herself laying on the coffee table, like she had been thrown there, looking back at the couch, she saw Max, eyelids fluttering, mumbling how sorry he was… Raven nearly shrieked when Max's cell phone went off right next to her leg, softly beeping and vibrating across the tabletop…

In a puff of shadows Raven was back in her room, panting, trying now to make heads or tails of what had just happened…

She didn't mean to touch him; she wasn't trying to see his dreams, she didn't want to see his dreams, and yet… _is that the root of all his sadness?_ Raven thought within herself, searching for any fading essence of a reason within Max… but her own self was much to stirred into turmoil for reasoning clearly…

"Max… Who or what are you, and why are here?" a single tear rolled down her face, surprising her, "And what has happened to you, to make you that way?"

With a slight start, Max Talbot, was awake, instantly and without drama, as was his custom after a nightmare. Licking his lips, he blinked his eyes clear, and looked at his salvation, his lit-up cell phone, announcing the reception of a text message from Karen. Picking up the device, he debated a moment then began punching the little used buttons to form a reply: "Umk, ALL ur clothes or jst something to wear?" '_Send, save, main menu…_ _ehh 6:37 a.m. _Early, but not too early, sunrise in forty some odd minuets… _ahh, the joys of winter… its dark for way to dang long… wait… suns up… I'm on the _west _coast… what time is this thing on?!? Piece of junk…' _Max stood up and stretched, his joints popping, and his muscles warming up, he looked around the room; he had moved into the common room, trying to calm his mind down so that he could sleep, and it seemed to work, sort of…

'_I may want to go back to the room and grab some clean clothes… I don't know what the Titans might think of me lounging in here in just my jeans…'_

"Good Morning." The greeting was calm and even, and to be fair, it was a bit sneaky. So, Robin wasn't completely surprised when Max swung his left hand out and almost deep-fried the boy wonder with the nasty blue current just held in check by the quick thinking mind behind the electric glow: "Damm, you must get attacked a lot red-bird…" Max drew the charge back into his body, "didn't your mama tell you not to go sneaking up on meta's?" Robin's mask hid the twinkle in his eyes as he smiled; "Yeah, but Batman taught me how to fight meta's and not get myself killed." Robin walked into the kitchen, and started grabbing stuff, Max's gaze followed slowly; "Touché. Not that I shoot first and ask questions later, but I've only been awake for three minuets, and I'm a little wary in a new place, so you really where taking a chance of meeting St. Peter this morning." Robin pulled an orange box of cereal out of the pantry, and tossed it onto the table, "Noted. Electricity, nice trick, is it real or did your think it up?" Max tucked his cell into his back pocket and walked over, "It's real, one of my 'acquired' gifts. Got it from Dakota City of course. I am a bang baby after all. I thought Raven had briefed you?" Robin sat down with two bowls, spoons and a large jug of milk: "No, we all went to bed about the same time, so I didn't get to talk to her, but knowing her she's probably working on a report right now, and will give it to me by lunch time…" A soft beeping stopped the sweatshirt-clad boy wonder mid thought as Max dug the offending device out of his pocket, and nodded, "Well then let me know whenever your ready to interview me, I don't plan on leaving till you say go away or whatever. Excuse me; I gotta make a clothing run." And with that, Max got up and walked through the sliding door leading to the stairs and the Titans bedrooms. "Charming guy, really…" a large, fluffy green house cat said as Beast boy padded into the common room, "Quiet, a bit cold, testosterone oozing from every pore, and scary god-like powers he uses on a whim, a great guy really, what with all the blasting stuff to bits and such." Robin looked at Beast Boy coldly, "His friends helped save you from the Joker, _jerk_ boy, why don't you like him?" Logan leapt into a chair, and morphed back to his human form, "Well Tim, Raven and me talked last night, and she told me all about what happened yesterday, so for me, its simple: he hit on Raven, and I don't like that." Drake grimaced, _not this again!_ Despite his friendly nature, and kind heart, Gar Logan was also very territorial, just one of the many contrasts, and by-products of being a little more than half-animal and yet still human… "Gar…" Drake set the milk down, after pouring himself some, "I doubt that Raven is going to cheat on you, _especially_ with an o_lder,_ _rookie_…" he stressed each syllable on 'older rookie'… "…That's not her style, she's way too loyal for that." Logan, rolled his eyes, as he started munching on a hand full of cereal, "Maybe, but she's been acting unhappy with me lately." He talked around the wheat flakes as he looked reflectively at the black tabletop. "I think she may be sick of me and looking for a change…" the words fell on hardened ears: "That's a load and you know it Gar…" Robin got up and poured him self a cup of coffee from the pot in the automatic machine. "Raven loves you with all her heart Gar, never doubt that." the mask on Tim's face came off slowly, as he sat down and looked into the emerald eyes of his friend and teammate; "Hearing you say anything even remotely removed from that would crush Raven, deeply, at it this point of her life it might even kill her. So never, ever, even think otherwise, or I'll hurt you." The statement was absolute, un-flinching, and made the steel blue eyes dig into Logan's heart… "Yeah, you're right… Damm you Tim, do you always have to be right?" Logan cracked a smile as Drake put the mask back on, "Only where my friends are concerned." Robin joined Beast Boy in a friendly smile… "Good morning boys!" Starfire glided over to the table and gently kissed Robin on the cheek, then gave Beast Boy a firm hug, "Can you breathe Beast Boy?" she asked as she squeezed him, "Yeah, _kinda_…" he replied as she reached the height of her gesture, "Good, I have been practicing, so that my displays of affection won't hurt my friends!" Logan jerked his head to the side and his neck popped loudly, "Well it's a lot better Star, thanks." "So what are we to do about our new friends Ti- I mean Robin?" Starfire tried to make it a point to only call Robin buy his given name when he didn't have the mask on, and only by his hero name when the mask was on. She got it right most of the time… Robin smiled, "Well I'll need an after action report by both you and Beast Boy, today I'll interview Moon Beam and Blue Lightning and then after I send copies of all that to the N.S.A. we can start training them, and then when they get their license's, we can initiate them into the Titans." "And ya' know what that means Star." Cyborg said as he walked into the room, smile on his face, "Hazing!"

_Titans tower Two, _

_Mhmm Violet…_ Her body glistened with sweat and water, her red string bikini top hung just loose enough to tease his eyes with her lightly tanned freckly skin, but her _eyes _never stopped burning him, longing, full of unbridled animal lust… "Oh, Jake… did you know you're my favorite wonder-boy?" her voice was soft and cute, but the deep tone spoke of her age… "Oh, Jake… Jake… Oh Jake…"

The blasting of an air-horn jerked young Jacob Queen out of his steamy dream and into reality, he found himself in his make-shift room instead of in the pool, and, much to his disappointment, his current off-limits object of lust stood, Violet Parr, leaning on the door-jam, clad in a pair of dark blue hip huggers and red tee-shirt, cradling a small air-horn. "Yo wonder-boy! It's ten-thirty, your new team is en route, and I'm sick o' you dreaming about me, rise and frekn' shine!" Queen's cheeks turned red, "Wha? Are you sure?" Violet's sapphire eyes flashed, "Very. Now move it archer boy or I'll get V in here to zap your arrow farting butt awake…" she turned on her heel and left pulling the door closed behind her. "Richie's got good taste as far as looks go but damm… How does he put up with her?"

"Hey babe, give Jake another heart attack?" Richard Foley embraced his girlfriend in a kind, gentle hug, wrapping his arms around her slim waist and then rubbing her back, she purred as she nuzzled his toned chest, "He'll live, for now. You really think Virgil would kick his butt if I asked him too?" Foley kissed the top of her head and laughed, "Yeah, me and V are like brothers, so in his mind, that kinda makes you his responsibility too ya' dig?" "Yeah, but only you…" she gently grasped his face and pulled him into a deep, soft kiss… finally, air was needed, so their lips parted and he pulled away slowly, her taste still thick on his lips, her floral sent hung in his nose, as her eyes locked onto his, deepening she whispered; "Rich…" "Yeah?" he answered barely able to hold himself back, "Your picking me up again." He blushed, "Oh, sorry…" gently he set down all one hundred fifteen pounds of her slim toned muscle and womanly curves… "A little early in the day don't you think honeys?" Black fire's comment broke the soft moment, like a cheap piece of glass, "And in the hallway no less, tisk tisk…" the mischief in her voice denoted her joke as harmless. "And like you and Lucas never grab some in the morning?" Foley countered, as Violet rapped her arm in his, and make a face, "Eww, Rich knock it off! The last time I checked we're not junior highers'." the three laughed and walked into the large living space, the common area of tower two. "What's so funny?" asked Lucas Jones, A.K.A. Young Lantern and leader of Titans Two. Violet answered, "Your sultry space girl is giving us a hard time, no biggie." "More like Gear was giving _you_ a 'hard time' honey…" the raven headed Tamaranian walked over to the couch and flopped down next to Jones and gave him a squeeze on the leg, and a coy smile. "Um… yeah…" Richard Foley said as he went into the kitchen and grabbed sodas for himself and Violet. "So I'm guessing that Jake is up and getting ready to head out?" Jones said as he propped his feet up on the coffee table and leaned back on the couch. "Yeah, he better be." Blackfire said as lay her head on her boyfriend's shoulder, "Vi used an air horn on him." "Air horn?" asked Jones as he gently hugged Milanind'r's warm Tamaranian body closer. "Yup," said Parr as she tossed the device at him, he caught it midway with a beam of green energy and set it down on the coffee table, "_Dang_ Gina…" Jones quipped as he set the noisemaker down on the coffee table. "So where are they?" Speedy said as he walked onto the landing, over looking the rest of the common room, and kitchen, "Don't tell me there not here!?!"

A buzzing from the computer alerted everyone that Titans two had some visitors… Aqualad's face filled the big screen monitor, "So is the red pain in my--" "G' day loves!" Argent cut Aqualad off as the camera by the front door shook slightly from her shove, "Is Speedy ready?" she held out her hand and held back her team leader with a beam of slivery energy… "Now I remember where he gets it!" Phantom Girl said as she smacked herself on the forehead. Young Lantern pushed a button on his COM unit and opened the door, "Yeah Toni, he's up here grabbing some breakfast, you guys hungry?" Aqualad's voice sounded from the speakers; "Yeah we are, Titans one ran out of food last night." "Really? Why?" Asked Foley as he stifled a yawn, Violet stared at her can of soda, then walked over and set it back in the refrigerator, deciding that she wanted to go back to bead soon. It had been a long and tiresome night on patrol, and she wanted to sleep. "They got us some new rooks yesterday, and the flirty one helped nab B.B. from the Joker."

"What?!?" Jones was now wide awake and standing next to the computer terminal in the back of the room. "How did he get past us last night? How did he get into Jump City without us knowing? How did he get out of _Arkham_? And where's Batman?" "Just simmer Lucas," Aqualad said, holding a hand up to calm the green and black clad teen, "Robin's going to want to meet with you later today, to explain the current situation and get your take on it." "Nopp taaathh eell oo aat yu aaayy." Speedy interjected, with a mouth full of food. Jones cut his black and green eyes over, "That may be true but Robin is smart, and knows that it never hurts to have a backup plan." Argent had just finished shaking hands with Phantom Girl, when she whispered: "So greeny learned how to understand him with a mouth full of food huh?" Parr laughed slightly, "Yeah, they should list it as his second language…" "Yyy eerrd haatt!" Speedy hollered, Foley laughed: "Ahh, such is the life of a young superhero…"

_Titans' Island…_

The small, grey VSTOL craft landed in front of the "garage door" on the seaside of Titans tower right on the landing pad that had unfolded five minuets before, standing there to greet it where Robin and Cyborg. Stepping out was a middle aged woman about five feet tall, clad in the typical white lab coat, knit shirt, slacks and sneakers. "Doctor Hewlett," Robin said with a slight bow, "welcome to Titans' Island, thank you for coming on such short notice." The kind, round doctor smiled and shook both boys hands, and at thirty-two, they where really boys to her.

"Not at all, I hope that we can get all of this preliminary work out of the way, so that the N.S.A. will let you get back to what you do best." Cyborg opened the door, and spoke; "I assume that doc Brown is waiting back at S.T.A.R. labs for our new friends' right?" Dr. Alexandra Hewlett nodded, "Yes, he is, he wanted me to ask if the new supers mind coming back with me to S.T.A.R. labs to run the follow up tests… Today…" Robin stopped short, "Doctor Hewlett, we don't mind, but the decision is ultimately theirs." Hewlett nodded, and then followed the young men up the stairs into the tower.

"We're not lab-rats ya' know, we're human, people like you… with gifts." Max sat across the table from the good doctor from S.T.A.R. labs with his arms crossed, his green button down shirt open to the third button, showing the thin layer of coarse chest hair on his well defined chest, barely covering a line of light, hairline scars arcing across his collar-bone and down his abdomen, but doctor Hewlett only noticed one thing; his eyes… _where have I seen that coloring before…_ the memory eluded her for the moment as she saw the faint hint of disgust cross his face, the other two seemed to hold there breath, waiting for his word on the matter. "I know that, but the simple fact is that you are, physically and scientifically speaking, well, _more_ that human. And to find out just how much more, we need you to come back and run the full battery of standard tests. And believe me, _every_ super dose it at least once an—""Even Batman?" Max arched his eyebrow as he drilled his gaze into the doctor, waiting for her answer. "Well…" Hewlett honestly didn't know if Batman ever ran the standard meta/superhuman test, after all he was only human wasn't he? Then she remembered that he helped with the takeover and building of Nomanisan Island into one of the N.S.A.'s superhero training facilities, so he _must_ have run the test himself at one point… "Umm, you know, I'm not sure, but I guess so since he helped make the standard test. Does that answer your question?" the incredulous look on Max's face spoke volumes before his voice did; "Wait, is this like a paper test? Number two pencil only? Answer A B or C?" "No." Robin's interjection drew Max's gaze over, "there is some paper work yes, but by and large it is a gauntlet of physical and mental tests, to see how well you work in varying conditions, and to find your strong and weak points, all for your safety and the safety of others, supers and innocents alike. I ran the test just six months ago, as did Cyborg and Beast Boy. We as young heroes need to run the test almost every year, until we plateau. However, you yourself being slightly older may have already leveled out. That's what we need to know, and that's why they need to find out, to help us help you." Max leaned forward onto his elbows and stared at Hewlett, "Fine, but I go first, full tilt, everything there is to do, you do with, for and to me, and me only, after that, well then Jason, then Karen, but at the first sign of trouble, I blast my way in, and get my friends and my self outta Dodge, I don't want my friends to get hurt at all, so take care of them." The doctor extended her hand, "Unnecessary but agreed." Max reached out and shook her hand firmly but gently, it was then that she caught the hint of an armband tattoo on his right arm… "You didn't strike me as the tattoo type." She said as she looked at the black Celtic scrolling, "Yeah, I'm not, but at the risk of sounding corny, with great power comes great responsibility, even if we don't want it…" Doctor Hewlett smiled coyly, "Care to expand on that?" Max shook his head, "Not now, really. You understand." The good doctor nodded, "Well then, shall we?" Max look at his friends, who nodded as well, "Why not?" Max answered as the followed Hewlett out of the room…


	9. Everyday training?

So here we are, everything's rolling along just nicely now…

And FYI: the chapters will vary in length depending on what is going on, I.E. an "action" chapter may not be as long as a "boring" chapter but that will depend on how this shakes out… there are times that even I don't know exactly what will happen or how it will happen…

Just believe that this is real life and suffer like I do…

I own, Lightning, Knight Blade, Moon Beam, Warlord, Pyro, Morph, and other miscellaneous bit characters that are not obvious.

I do not own the Teen Titans, the Justice League, Static Shock, the Incredibles, or Young Lantern, they are owned by DC, WB, CN, Pixar, and aeolus06 respectively…

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_The good doctor nodded, "Well then, shall we?" Max look at his friends, who nodded as well, "Why not?" Max answered as the followed Hewlett out of the room…_

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Act 1, Chapter 9: Everyday? Training…

_S.T.A.R. labs, somewhere in the California desert…_

An explosion rocked the street behind a lone figure, as he walked slowly down a wreckage-covered road in the middle of a large city turned war-zone… "Props for realism guys…" Max Talbot, A.K.A. Lightning walked towards a large group of robot commandos that had been ravaging the city. Pulling twin pistols off of his belt, Talbot took aim and fired… "Glock model forty's, high velocity 9 Millimeter gun, a nice choice for close up work." A two star general rocked back in a leather bound chair, cigar clenched firmly in his mouth, watching a large wall monitor, "Indeed, his energy powers give him a form of matter manipulation, and his control is as good or even better that of Hal Jordan…" the young red headed doctor suddenly turned red and stammered slightly as he looked over at the ageing Green Lantern standing behind the general. "Well he has a very distinct advantage doesn't he?" the voice of John Stewart, A.K.A. Green Lantern 2 was unmistakable, "Hal, general, doctors Keeton, Lee, Brown. How's this kid doing?" the picture on the monitor showed a blue clad young man now firing and reloading a sub-machine gun at impossible speeds, and every bullet hitting it's mark. A short thin Asian man spoke up, "How's a ninety-nine point-oh nine five percent accuracy strike you?" Stewart arched an eyebrow, "With an MP five? Impossible, even in semi-auto." The red headed doctor named Keeton laughed, "How's all on full auto hose down grab you?" Stewart snorted, "Hal, are these guys joking? No one can shoot that good, can they?" the now balding Hal Jordan looked over at his old friend and fellow Justice Leaguer with a grim face, "No John, they are not joking, this kid has hit everything he's aimed at, and has only gotten better as time has worn on, but that's not what bothers me." Jordan nodded at the short Asian man named Doctor Lee, who then brought a plastic notebook over and turned on the LCD screen, a benchmark chart appeared showing various levels of skill and power…

Stewart's face widened; "An _Omega_?" the blue eyed, white haired Doctor Brown now spoke up "A level five Omega class super slash Metahuman. Amazing really, with a little help he somehow tapped his body's natural strengths and abilities and is a being on par with the greatest heroes the world has ever known…" Stewart brought up a menu on the small computer in his hands and pulled up a list of all known Omega class heroes. The list was quite short: _Meta-Man, The Hulk, Mr. Incredible, Martian Man-hunter, Captain Marvel, Superman…_

"Wait," Stewart asked as he watched the blue clad wonder take to the air and start shooting from there, "did you say a level five Omega?" Doctor Brown nodded, "Yes, and that's just from what we've seen here, and he has yet to show us what he can really do." "How so?" Stewart looked at the chart one more time, "Well," Keeton started as the last drone fell to the ground. "We know that he possesses three different kinetically projected powers, fire electricity, plasma force energy matter, as well as a touch based power that we've never come across before, electro-kinesis. It lets him interface with electronics and repair them or integrate them into himself and use them in almost any manner. Raven from the Titans calls him a quote on quote "human universal remote" and he said that it was the first power that he developed." The Green Lanterns looked at one another then at the red headed egg-head, Jordan spoke pointedly him: "That sounds like a high level Gamma-Kappa type hero Doctor Keeton, but Doctor Brown said that he's an Omega class Super. Why?" the General spoke up; "Just you boys watch… load up VR test RJL Level 10 Doctors, and pull out all the stops." The three Doctors looked at the various computers as General Tomas Wade Goodman, picked up a small microphone; "Take five son, then hop into the VR chair, and strap yourself in, we're gonna' turn you loose in cyberspace and see what you can do." Talbot nodded and walked over to a small table that popped out of the wall in the training room, as the wreckage was swept away and the city blocks slowly faded away. "RJL test?" Jordan asked as he took a seat at the end of the bank of computers and controls. "Rouge Justice League Hal, in the advent we have another Venom Spider-Man or Riddler Batman incident, we've begun a set of VR training scenarios for all in the Super hero community, should anyone go rouge we want a back-up plan to contain said super." Jordan nodded, thankful that Goodman had not mentioned the Coast City disaster than he had caused, or rather had been; "I'm guessing that Superman, the Flash and Batman are the big three that you have lined up should anyone else turn right?" "Yup, that about sums it up, but we're looking at a match for every super, Meta or otherwise. It's just good planning." "We're ready General." Brown stood and gestured at the large monitor, Metropolis came into view, complete with people, cars, and pollution. General Goodman spoke into the microphone: "Okay son, here's the situation; the seven core members of the Justice League have been taken over by Brainiac using some kind of biometric synthetic nano-technology, they have neutralized the rest of the available JL members, taken out the Justice Society, trapped the Outsiders and leveled the Titans East tower… your nearest help will be Titans One and Two but they are two hours away at best. So you're on your own. You are expected at the very least to contain and or minimize the damage done by the JL, anything else is up to you. Get ready son, and don't worry, in the end, this is not real."

And the seven core members of the Justice League, all with glowing yellow eyes, landed on the street in front of him…

"Don't you think that your laying it on a touch thick General?" Jordan asked as the VR persona of Stewart blasted the young man across the street with a pulse of green energy. "Not if our preliminary tests and figures are right," The General answered as he lit his cigar with a small silver lighter.

A large chunk of building fell in the street as the evil VR Wonder Woman punched Talbot further down the street into a ten-story auto-repair shop. "Ow… If this is like the sims' in the watch tower, you know that's gotta' hurt." Stewart remarked as the dust cleared showing the blue and white clad super on his hands and knees, a slight smirk on his round lean face. Just in time to be landed on by Batman, punched over a thousand times by the Flash, and knocked into the air by Hawk Woman. Jordan glowered; "The kid's not even fighting back! What the hell is his problem? And what about the civilians? He's not even cleared the area!" suddenly there was a flash of blue energy, and when the glow faded there wasn't a single civilian in sight, in fact there wasn't even buildings for a six block radius… and Talbot was missing as well, "W-what did that k-kid d-d-do?!?" Doctor Lee stammered as he checked the readouts on his terminal. An orb of blue energy appeared in the middle of the ring of evil VR Justice Leaguers and out stepped Max Talbot, looking a bit tired and very pissed off… "Line up." The two word order was given to the VR League and like the real League, they laughed it off, then Superman spoke; "We don't take orders from you kid." Batman stepped up next; "Give up and run while you can." The blow that was delivered to the VR Dark Knight exploded his head of his body, which fell to the ground with a sick wet thud…

The VR League's stunned reaction gave Max enough time to make his statement; "I'll be blunt, I really don't know what that phrase means… not at all… but I do know that it's my job to save this city and as many of the people that live here as I can, and that means that you either leave, or line up so I can put you down." The Flash was on him instantly, yet some how the VR persona missed by the barest of margins as Max sidestepped and blocked Wonder Woman's follow-up punch, turning his grip and rotating at the hips, throwing her directly into Superman. Martian Man-hunter landed a powerful blow that sent the young super into another Flash punch, which resulted in the Flash hitting the ground, dead cold… "Holy mother of mercy…" Keeton whispered as the computer registered a collision at mach four, delivering over ten tons of force to the back of Talbot's cranium and the Flash's sternum. "Th' kid's got some great strategy and the tactics' to back it up." General Goodman observed, "Yeah, taking out Batman first was pure luck but it was also the best move strategically speaking, he's one of the best of the best and he can always find a weak spot…" The fight now took to the air, Max leaving flaming blue foot prints in the pavement as Superman, Wonder Women, Hawk Woman, Martian Man-hunter and Green Lantern John Stewart gave chase to the fiery blue streak blazing across the city skyline.

Beams of pure heat shot out from the extraterrestrial members of the evil Justice League, and Max dodged them. A golden lasso soared across the sky at him, and he evaded the noose…

Then, a beam of green plasma formed a sphere around him… Stewart grimly nodded: "Now we'll se what he's got…" then the energy shrank into Talbot's body as he began absorbing it… "No… how can that be?" Jordan asked shocked at what was happening. The VR Lantern fell from the sky, his ring depleted, the Martian Man-hunter caught him and flew him to a nearby roof-top, Wonder woman came up in front of Talbot, ready to strike… when pure electricity exploded from the blue supers hands, arced into her stunned form and blew her insides out of every orifice of her smoldering body… "That was so powerful, it didn't even register on the scales… it just… flash fried her… look, it turned her hair into glass! How the hell did that happen? That can't happen!" Lee whispered, sweat running down his face. Stewart's voice was low; "This guy takes no prisoners' and kills without flinching… guy's, that's a bad thing..." Hawk Woman was next to fall, her wings clipped by a beam of blue fire, she fell, burning to death… at last Martian Man-hunter, and Superman caught Talbot and threw him to the ground with a great crash, cratering the street. "I'll hit em' high, you hit em' low!" VR Superman shouted to VR Martian Man-hunter, "Agreed!" but when they got to the crater an instant later, there was nothing to pummel… "Where is he J'ohn?" Superman asked as he started scanning the surroundings with his x-ray vision, "I was hoping you could tell me, I can't lock onto him telepathically, all I hear and feel is noise and calm at the same time…" A blue ball of flame encased plasma and electricity slammed into Superman's side throwing him spinning into the bay a half a mile away and shattering every window and crumbling every building in a one-hundred block area… The sound of the impact was deafening… "Damm…" Lee said as lights in the room turned off, diverting power to the mainframe, "That kid just hit Superman with the equivalent of a level four atomic particle discharge blast." "Meaning?" Jordon asked as Max dropkicked the stunned VR Martian Man-hunter into an over turned bus. "That blast was forty times more powerful then a ten mega-ton atom bomb and a ten mega-ton bomb is one-hundred times more powerful that what we dropped on Hiroshima…" "Then why the hell didn't he level the whole city with that?" Stewart asked as a now ragged looking Superman slowly floated back from where he had been thrown. "The blast was focused and shaped, like an RPG head, so that the bulk of the force went into Superman, see? He's bleeding… _My god_… He's _bleeding_!" the realism on the VR program was stunning: every hair, every stitch of clothing, every cut, every speck of rubble, every drop of blood looked and sounded and even smelled real, and it felt real… and to an uninformed observer is was real. But the computer mainframe needed power to simulate everything, a lot of it, so as it got more and more intense, it began shutting down less vital power drains, nothing big, just the lights and a few small appliances, nothing that violated the security protocol built in.

But it did get the attention of the six people in the monitor room watching something that they hoped would never really happen: The Justice League being slaughtered like first year rookies, _by_ a first year rookie…

Before the simulated Superman could reach his downed friend, Talbot shot a burst of blue tinted flame into Martian Man-hunter's position, causing an animalistic shriek as the intense heat hit his body and the bus's gas tank, igniting the fuel, and starting a massive fireball that consumed the Martian, killing him with his greatest fear… All in stunningly rendered three-dimensional polygons and true surround sound…

The light and sound playing in the monitor room let the viewers know that their last viewpoint, the Martian Man-hunter's own eyes, had been a bad choice to say the least. The General's face was ashen: "… Dear… mother… of…" "J'ohn!" the VR Kal-El yelled so loudly that the auto-leveling sound system muted itself temporarily, and then re-muted for the earth shaking booms that followed as Talbot caught the otherworldly blow Superman had launched at him, then had his own powerful blow blocked in like manner… Keeton started, "I thought that nothing could stop…" "Well we just found what can!" Lee interrupted as his monitors went crazy with readings, "General! I'm reading levels over thirty-five percent higher than what was projected for _Super_man! He's _too_ strong!" "What? What do you mean?" General Goodman looked to be a tick away from cardiac arrest. Lee yelled in the way of a man who has seen the face of an angry god: "I mean that the computer's cheating!" shocked silence filled the room as the volume slowly rose to let the viewers hear the simulated, titanic grappling match going on in cyberspace…

Heat beams met a gaze of pure blue fire, a ball of energy floating in-between the two, the Kryptonion, not giving an inch, hands enclosed in the larger, longer fingers of the taller Talbot, large coarse veins bulging in his powerful arms and hands…

Then they heard it… like gunshots, bones snapped… and Superman went down, his shoulder ripped out of socket, his face blank, and the smoke and noise fading with a computerized voice speaking: "Emergency override activated. Safety parameters breached. Subject health endangered." And Max Talbot, collapsed in a heap, a thin trail of dark purple blood running out of his nose…

In the VR chair, Talbot jerked, coughed, and then sneezed dark blood everywhere, then groaned as two medics rushed in and pulled him out of the device, and laid him down. "He's passing out. Looks like he just ran across the country in two seconds flat!" the taller of the two said as he looked over the exhausted young man, the shorter blond haired medic held a small device over his head; "He's dehydrated! And his blood sugars are critically low! We need protein sugar mix and Gatorade, NOW!"

In the monitor room General Goodman stood and faced the Lanterns and Doctors, his face dark and worried; "Gentlemen, what you have just seen…" "Is frightening…" Jordan interjected. Goodman nodded, "Very much so, and it is also… _Classified_… not one word Gentlemen, not one…" As the two younger Doctors and the Green Lanterns' walked out of the room, Stewart overheard Goodman ask Brown; "Anyway we can dumb his powers down?" "…Well, yes…" "Good, now how about stepping them _up_?" John Stewart shuddered at the thought, but the door slid shut before he could hear Doctor Brown's reply…

_Titans Island…_

"Again?!? Jeez Robin, I've run the course twice!" Beast Boy put his hand up above his head and waved it a few times, holding up two fingers, before morphing into a robin and darting over to Cyborg's side, "Come on Vic, tell him I don't need to run it again!" Cyborg looked at Robin and nodded, "I think grass stain is right, he tied Starfire's time, then tied mine, so unless you want a clean-cut pecking order based on an elapsed time on the course I'd say call it a day." Robin thought for a moment, then nodded, "Yeah, you're right Cyborg, let's call it a day." "Woo Hoo!" Beast Boy yelled as he morphed into a Leopard and bounded up a nearby tree. Robin's communicator buzzed a signal that meant it was only for him. Stealthily he pulled it off his belt and opened it, "Robin." "This is Doctor Brown." The voice sounded a bit distracted and very worried, _Not good… be ready to move…_ Robin instantly had Cyborg's attention and using a hand signal had him on standby; "What is it Doctor, what's happened?" there was short pause that seemed to chill the air… "We have finished testing and are ready to send back Moon Beam and Knight Blade… but Lightning, ehh well…" "Doctor, what happened?" Robin suddenly had a very bad felling about this call. "You and the other leaders of the Titans' teams need to come to Nomanisan Island as soon as you can… and your friend may want to think of a new name that fits him better…" The connection was shut off and Robin turned to face Cyborg, the eyes of his domino mask narrowed, "Call the other Titan Officers Vic, and have them meet us in L.A. within the hour, I'll get the T-Jet ready. We fly to Nomanisan Island at oh-three-hundred sharp." "K' fearless leader, but what's tha' deal?" Robin gestured for Cyborg to come closer and lowered his voice, "That was Doc Brown, something's wrong with Lightning." Cyborg's organics eye narrowed and his plastic eyebrow above his electronic eye arched, "Well what is it?" "He didn't say." Robin turned on his heel and sprinted off to the smaller access door leading to the underground garage. "Figures."

_Somewhere in Orange County California…_

A thin man, clad in a green suit, stood in a hotel room talking on a cell phone: "Understood… Yes, we will initiate phase three in two weeks… Yeah, the Hive Five are on their way, they will be in place by oh, nine pm tonight … no I didn't… Joker was s'post to take care of it… Well then tell him I said that if he doesn't get it done, I'll turn you loose on him… I know but… We agreed that… fine… Yeah… Of course…" he ended the call, and tossed the phone onto the bed and sighed… "Will you stop that! I swear, you're gonna suck all the air out of this room…" an orange skinned seventeen year-old boy walked into the room wearing a towel around his well defined form. "Shut up kid. I've been playing second fiddle to all kinds of nut-jobs for years, and when someone with some real brains shows up, he puts me under the Joker, who teams me up with you and that pale bone crushing bounty hunter…" The orange skinned boy sat on the far bed, legs crossed at the ankles, "Wow, an ex-bounty hunter hiring a few rookies, some nut-jobs and an intergalactic bounty hunter… with the latter, I see a pattern." The Riddler, A.K.A. Edward Nygma, ran a hand through his short spiky red hair and looked over at the now pale skinned, purple haired teen with a question mark on his face. "What pattern? Slade has pulled all the resources he could get his hands on, and put the word out for help. So what does Lobo have to do with a pattern?" the nameless teen gave a cocky smile, then shifted his weight, getting up off the end of the bed and morphed into a sultry younger version of Raven... the fact that _she_ was topless didn't escape Nygma, a young, dry and mysterious voice issued from her pale lips; "Well riddle me this; what is the problem with being a super genius?" she looked at his spidery limbs and smirked, "It's that you're too smart to lift weights…" "Umm…" the Riddler _may_ have taken this in stride but Edward Nygma, was pure nerd and reacted as such… His voice cracked, "You're hurting me…" the fake Raven arched her eyebrows and teased his eyes, "I haven't even touched you yet…" Nygma gulped, "Y-y-yet?" the towel fell to the floor and a being know simply as "Morph" took control... had any internal dialog been spoken, it might have sounded like this: "_HOLY……………._"

"_Slade… you fool… _I _will be the one to profit by this, and then I will finally get to have my revenge on the Titan sluts and their dogs…_"

But if Morph only knew… Slade was always five steps ahead of everyone… well everyone but a not-so-simple human…

_S.T.A.R. labs, complex four, some near the Serria-Nevada Desert…_

"Clearance code alpha-niner-gama-oh-one-oh-four. Get me the President."

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At this point, if you want to understand how this fits in my mind I suggest you go and watch the Incredibles, then go 2 youtube and watch some Teen Titans, Justice League, Static Shock, and Knight Rider… please?

Until next time dear readers, remember my writers' creed:

1) "Make the audience suffer." —Alfred Hitchcock

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2) "The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." —Tom Clancy

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3) "Never do things by half measures"—Myself


	10. Act 2: Getting too quiet…

Okay, well like I said: NO lemons, but you did get a healthy whiff of citrus sent right? Well okay then…

Also, I have heard that Bumble Bee's last name is Beacher, Beckman, and Brown…

I went with Beckman because one of the doctors is named Brown and Beacher messes my spell-check up…

This one is LONG… And from now on:

I own, Lightning, Knight Blade, Moon Beam, Warlord, Pyro, Morph, and other miscellaneous bit characters that are not obviously taken from the vast world of TV and the Movies.

I do not own the Teen Titans, the Justice League, Static Shock, the Incredibles, or Young Lantern, they are owned by DC, WB, CN, Pixar, and aeolus06 respectively… any Marvel heroes/villains referenced/used belong of course to Marvel, other stuff belongs to Glen A Larson, Genndy Tartakovsky, Sunrise and Shinichiro Watanabe. Oh, and anyone else I decide to rip-off… enjoy, eastsidebebop

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_But if Morph only knew… Slade was always five steps ahead of everyone… well everyone but a not-so-simple human…_

_"__Clearance code alpha-niner-gama-oh-one-oh-four. Get me the President."_

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Act 2: Evil has a face, Chapter 10: Getting too quiet…

_Los Angelis international Multi-port_

"So what exactly is so important that you called us all out here?" Isaiah Crockett better known as "Hot-spot" asked, walking up to _T-Jet one_, as Karen Beckman A.K.A. Bumble Bee and Arthur "Ace" Curry Jr., "Aqualad" climbed into the sleek gray, black and yellow aircraft. Robin stood at the top of the stairs, his spiky, black hair waving in the wind gusts. "Not what. Who… We have to go and see Doctor Brown about one of our new recruits… something has happed and it doesn't sound good." Cyborg sat down in the pilots seat, "Strap in y'all, we've got priority clearance for take off. And I intend to use it." After radioing the control tower, Cyborg and Robin taxied to the end of a short runway and set the engines up for a quick take-off; "Everything's in the green, wings are configured for maximum lift, and full thrust is on tap." Cyborg looked over at Robin for the signal, the boy wonder didn't disappoint: "Let's butt haul." The harnesses in every occupied seat tightened, and the twin ion-pulse engines lit up a white-hot patch of tarmac as the T-Jet nosed up and shot into the sky.

_Elsewhere, that same time…_

"The main man is look'n for some info. It's for some mutual friends of ours." Lobo said as he laid a roll of cash on the only table he hadn't smashed when he burst into the seedy south side Seattle basement hideaway. An oily, short, weasel faced man in a cheap sport-coat and worn out blue jeans walked up and snatched the electrical tape wound roll of fifty dollar bills and dropped it into his inner pocket. Lobo grabbed him by the head single handed and applied some pressure, "Didn't your momma ever tell you to share?" the thin man gulped hard, "Yeah, but I'm still live'n and she ain't, plus I'm the spillway on this dam. Read me?" Lobo grinned, or at least his face made what might pass as a grin, "I read ya' so to quote a favorite Earth story, 'Come, walk with me, talk with me.' Dig it?" the snitch tried to nod and Lobo set the man down and let him lead the way to another part of the rundown apartment building…

_S.T.A.R. Labs, Nomanisan Island, Later… _

"Come again?" asked Lucas Jones, The "Young Lantern" a Titan officer, and leader of Titans Two looked at the lab-coat clad Doctors' Brown, and Hewlett as they reported the day's test results and video footage of the trials run by the new recruits. "I said that, mister Talbot has shattered all previous records and levels set by everyone but Superman. Quite amazing really--" "So then what's the deal? If these three check out then why are we here?" Hotspot asked, his cut-to-the-chase attitude befitting his fiery persona and powers. "Because one of our rookies, and I'll take a chance here and guess that it's Max, is very dangerous and will either never see the light of day again or is about to be leveled down so he can work with us. Is that right doctors?" Ace Curry was even more of a straight shooter than Robin, if that was possible, and like Crockett, had relatively little tact when dealing with S.T.A.R. labs due to a distasteful past history… and as far as Victor Stone could tell, it seemed that history was about the repeat it's self…

The air-conditioning being dumped into the small, clean briefing-room was about five degrees too cold, and the high-tech wooden conference table was even colder… "Well… yes, mister Curry is correct… Mister Talbot is a plus level 10 Kappa-Omega class being…" despite the shock of this news, the Titan officers noted that Doctor Brown did not use the label "Hero"… "Really?" Robin asked as he looked over the charts being displayed on the viewing pane in front of him, "You just said that he didn't break any of the levels or records set by Superman, but we all know that he is an even level ten, because he is the bench-mark by which all other supers and meta's are judged by…" Doctor Brown paled slightly, and Doctor Hewlett looked at the seven Titans, before she spoke: "The computer cheated. Max dug deeper, maybe deeper than even _he_ knew he could." She looked worried and amazed at the same time, "We hoped that it was a one time thing, but follow up tests show that he's taped some kind of reserve that he can't, well…" she raised her hands, two fingers spread on each, bending halfway "…Um, 'Un-tap', he's the most powerful living thing on planet earth right now, and according to the computer, nothing short of an act of the almighty God can stop him."

Cyborg looked around the room, studying his comrades' faces; Robin was stoic as ever, but a light sweat had started forming on his arms, despite the cold room. YL was in shock; the video was showing footage of the simulated fight, and the scene playing at that very moment was of Max absorbing the Green Lantern energy like a sponge in water. Bumble Bee was biting her lower lip and her brow was knitted so tight that it had to hurt. Aqualad seemed equal parts mad, scared, and confused, but above all _concerned_. And Hotspot… was Hotspot, despite his composed outer demeanor, his eyes looked angry and hurt, as if it was he that was being put under the microscope and feared.

Doctor Brown studied the room and, unfortunately, decided that now was a good time to get things over with: "So with the exception of mister Talbot, your new recruits are free to return with you to train." No one would ever know how Robin ended up with Doctor Brown pined to the wall as fast as he did. And no one ever would have thought that Robin, leader of the Titans, the successor to, and former side-kick of Batman, Robin a calm, and unemotionally driven individual as there ever was, would ever strike an older gentleman, a doctor no less, with out being violently provoked. And yet, Robin, his arms bulging slightly with effort, held Doctor Brown up, and with a slight grunt, slammed him into the large LCD display at he front of the room. "WHY?!? SUPERBOY'S AN OMEGA CLASS AND YOU LET HIM WORK WITH US! Oh, wait, is that because you screwed up the process when YOU ILLEGALLY CLONED SUPERMAN! _THE BENCH-MARK OMEGA!_" everyone in the room shuddered at the sound, volume and rage of the young heroes voice, "P-p-p-please!" Doctor Brown was not a brave man. So, the prospect of facing even a young Alpha class hero was not pleasant, and the darkening spot in-between his legs proved it. "The c-computer put an over thirty-percent b-b-b-boost on S-s-Superman's powers! That was much more that we projected or ever even d-d-dreamed p-possible! And h-h-he-he _beat that!_" the soft yet strong lenses on Robin's domino mask flexed to show his eyes slowly widening, as he let the frightened doctors words sink in. "And? We've taken down terrorists, inter-galactic invaders, monsters that _you've_ created and let escape, and we've' fought inter-dimensional beings and demi-gods and _won_. Then we bring you three young supers, who _want_ to help us, to help _you_ and fight for what we all feel is right, and just cause one of them is stronger that everyone else put together you panic and want to lock him up… or worse…" Robin felt a large, cold metal hand rest gently on his shoulder, Cyborg spoke gently, "Let him go Robin." Robin looked back and saw that the other Titan officers where now standing behind Victor and looked worried. Robin let go, then spoke as he turned on his heel: "He's coming back with us, if you try to stop us, I will _personally_ break my foot off so far up _your_ ass that you'll taste my toenails." Before anyone could respond, Robin left the room and slammed the heavy steel door behind him. Hotspot turned back, his dark skin glowing like an ember, "I can't speak for everyone, but I feel that sums up our feelings on the matter." The others nodded, "So deal, good day and good riddance."

"But I didn't want to… that's… that's not how I normally fight, I just… I just _had_ to stop them and, I knew that that was the only way…" Max was sitting in a bed, the remains of a foot long sub-sandwich sitting on a table with a large pitcher of ice water, and a young, cute N.S.A. psychiatrist sat in a chair next to the bed, tape-recorder running, and notepad in hand. "But you thought it was real, so you acted accordingly. Never giving the League a chance to surrender, you took things to a place that heroes are warned against." Max sighed, _why is it the pretty ones get all-smart and then turn an idiot on people?_ Max looked at her and locked onto her dark blue eyes, "The League never _ever_ surrenders. And all things being equal, if you had the power to stop something horrible from happening, you would do it right?" she stared at him for a moment, and then looked at the far wall. Her voice was barley louder than a small chough, "Yes. Yes, I would." She turned and faced him, her eyes hard, "But you did it without remorse. That is a frightening thing for one to consider, given the possible consequences." She pulled her light brown hair back and made a note on her pad. "Never mind that that wasn't real? That in life I would do everything _else_ I could to stop them? That was a last resort effort, per the rules?" Max swung his legs off the bed and stood in front of the slim, brunet shrink, "I don't kill lightly, or carelessly or without just cause. And I try to never let the things I do endanger innocent people… my dad raised me better that that." Max picked the water pitcher up and poured himself another drink. The door to the room opened and Robin, Bumble Bee, and Aqualad walked in, Robin's aura was pure authority, his voice, stone: "Interview's over, you an' your friends are coming back with us boy blue, Goodman and Brown be dammed." Max sighed, and muttered under his breath, then smiled apologetically at the petite young woman, "What did I way? I'm sorry miss…" she smiled sadly, "Mellissa Cook." Max nodded, "Miss Cook, Mellissa, it seems that now might be a good time to vacate this part of the island. I'd hate to see an innocent person get hurt should this get ugly." Cooks face went wide and Aqualad rolled his ebony eyes, the only indication was the slightly lighter pupils moving in a circle, "We don't take on the Government's lap-dogs Max." Talbot looked over his shoulder at the Atlantis native as he followed Robin, "And you think they'll just let me waltz outtta' here with you?" Beckman answered for Curry, "We don't take orders from S.T.A.R. labs honey, they take em' from _us_…" "They take orders from the N.S.A. _not us_." Robin snapped as he stalked the tile floored hallway, his titanium armored boots making a muted "clicking" sound as he followed his set chiseled jaw, his black and gold cape fluttering behind him, giving him the look of an angered monarch… or the air of one pissed-off, bad-to-the-bone wonder-boy… "Does he get like this often?" Max asked Hotspot as he, Cyborg, Young Lantern, Gear, Moon Beam, and Knight Blade, joined the line of young heroes. "Only when he's had enough B.S. to choke a hippo." Crockett answered, his eyes literally smoldering…

_Titans Tower, six weeks later…_

"It seems that the reason that Max displayed such power levels is due to the fact that as he concentrates, his blue energy flows in like manner." The newly hired Doctor Alexandra Hewlett, stood at the front of the ops-room, the large display screen showing various panes and windows of data and information, a video loop showed the end result of the most recent breakout of Plasmus: Max trying to contain him and instead, getting buried in toxic slime. "So I need some more Jedi training. Yo Gar, you up for a War of the Planets marathon?" Logan chuckled, "Dude, seriously… I don't think that will help. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it…" a boyish smile crossed Beast Boy's face. "Not to slight you Beast Boy." Robin started, "But I think Raven might be better suited to helping Max with focus and the like." Raven nodded, then looked at her other teammates and again noted how the line-up had shifted once more: Kid Flash was now a part of Titans Mobile, with Hotspot and Jinx, and that made him very happy to say the least. Superboy had just gotten himself moved into Titans Tower two on the far side of Jump City, and Cyborg was in Steel City working with Titans East for the next month at least. "Indeed, all the data points to the fact that unlike your electromagnetic-kinetic and pyro-kinetic powers, your blue energy power is well, "hard wired" into your nervous _and_ cardiovascular systems." Doctor Hewlett got a blank stare from Lightning, Beast Boy, Starfire, and Knight Blade. Robin stepped in; "English doctor, please. Keep in mind that although we are all well educated, most of us have little to no formal college or high school level education in our background." Doctor Hewlett shrugged, "Heart, lungs and brain?" everyone nodded they understood, "I believe that his plasma energy is generated by his heart and GI tract, um, his digestive system. Max's body seems to metabolize food, mainly minerals, protein, and sugars, and mixes it with other chemicals in his nervous system, to produce energy, much like a normal human, but _his_ body seems to have a very different, end result."

A computer animated model popped up on the view screen, showing various things moving and forming. "This is what sugar and minerals look like in my blood stream. You can see the building blocks of tissue and basic carbohydrates, or raw energy, here and here…" the image then split, "Now here's a model showing Max's blood stream, where it meets with some of his central nervous system. Same basic deal right? But note the variations…" the fog of proteins, sugar and minerals slowly formed into a transparent blue stream, flowing freely from his blood vessels into the nerve endings, which where colored a dark blue… "Whoa…" Beast Boy said. Although his medical knowledge was a bit limited, being part animal and part human had increased his curiosity on such things, so he did have a good grasp of human anatomy, good enough to know that was far from normal. He raised his hand "Um, question… would the addition of adrenaline factor into over all power output?" everyone but Talbot and Hewlett glared at him. He taped his finger tips together nervously, "What?" He held his hand out questioningly, "Like none of you didn't want to know?" Max huffed slightly, "That's why." Max stared at the animated clip, his eyes blinking slowly, his jaw cocked to the side. Jason tried to get his friends attention "Max, hey man… that can be a good thing… if, you know… um, help me out here Kare." De'Nozo reached across the table and laid her small hand on his forearm, "Max… Max, look at me." Lightning turned his head and looked into the face of his dear friend. She smiled slightly, "Now you really know why …" He grinned back, a knowing look on his face, "Now I'm really responsible…" the corners of his eyes crinkled slightly, showing the effects of many smiles and laughs that had been absent for far too long. Max winked at Karen, and smiled full on at everyone present: "Robin, what say you and the other pros here un-load your best wisdom and training on me?"

Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU!

_Titans Tower One, July 4__th__, 2017…_

Just over four months had passed since the botched bank job and confrontation on Alcatraz that had thrust three young friends, fated, gifted and cursed to be supers, into the life's of the Titans… Four months that had gone by quickly and quietly.

Much too quickly and far too quietly for the border-line paranoid mind of their skilled and fearless leader, Tim Drake, better know to the world as Robin… Paranoia, ruthless cunning, and a willingness to do _anything_ to win where his hallmarks, and to think that Batman thought of the last trait as a vice. It was why, no matter what anyone said about him, they all said one thing: "Robin is the most dangerous member of the hero community… period." And it was why he and his mentor, Batman, had not been on good terms for a while…

But no such thoughts where present in Jump City today, as the whole mega-city was in a festive mood for Independence Day, a record number of twenty sporting events of various types where hosted inside the city limits, from football to auto racing and even paintball, there was something for everyone. Well almost everyone…

"Remember the time, shoot what, four, five years ago, when Mad Mod took over the city and tried to make everyone think that the Revolutionary War never happened?" Cyborg sat in a folding lounge chair on the roof of Titans tower, a large glass of soda in one hand and a hotdog in the other, as he reminisced with Beast Boy and Raven, waiting for the sun to go down and the fireworks to start up. "You mean 'en I got my wick'ed sweet British accent?" Beast Boy asked, mimicking him self with his voice, Raven sighed, "I was hoping to forget that." Cyborg and Beast Boy laughed and exchanged high-fives. "Swapping tales of the early days huh?" Robin asked as he and Starfire walked up, clad in swimsuits, and covered with thin white Titans logo t-shirts. Beast Boy looked up and answered, "Yeah, we thought that the rookies might like to hear some stories that didn't make the book." Cyborg snorted, "Yeah, like the time you got stuck in the window of the _Brinks_ truck we saved from Dr. Light, right?" "Hey! No fair!" Logan yelped as Raven failed at stifling a laugh and Robin let a few mischief filled chuckles out. Jason, sans his now popular magic shifting armor, grinned as he continued to put the moves on Argent, who sat on the edge of the rooftop pool, her pale slender legs hanging in the water, her silver and red tank-kini catching the sunsets light. _He always has some girl in his sights…_ Karen thought as she took a long pull from her glass of lemonade. "Now that's quite a view…" a tall, tanned, hansom young man with short, yet shaggy strawberry blond hair, red swimming trunks and domino mask squatted next to her spot in the pool. She looked up, '_Speedy_… _heh, why am I not surprised_…' she smiled slightly, "Yeah, an ocean sunset is quite breathtaking." Even with the mask on, she could tell his eyes had started sparkling, "That's not quite what I meant, but yeah, it is." His cocky smile was driving her crazy, and not in the way she had figured either… The internal dialog Karen was having with herself bounced from firm logic to pure emotional mush, and so she was running on autopilot when Queen asked her a pointed, "go for the glory" question: "So are you involved with anyone here in tower one?" Her answer was aimed for a generic question that was not there; "Oh yeah…" The instant she said it, autopilot shut down and she realized that she had just stepped knee deep into an awkward mess of her own making. "Oh really?" Speedy asked, the space-age textile on his face shifting with his facial expression. An expression that said, "lying little tease" '_Crap_, _crap_, crap… _what__have__I__gotten__into_ now?' Queen kept his cocksure grin, shallow dimples, strong angled chin, and all, turned on high, "So who's the lucky guy?" '_Let's see how good she is._' Jacob thought to himself. "Ahh well…" Karen's mind was racing, '_Don't just sit there like a twelve-year-old fan-girl! Respond!_' "It's more of a secret crush… he doesn't know how I feel yet…" Speedy's smile shifted from cocky, to unsure, yet amused, "Oh really? Is it Cyborg?" Now it was Moon Beam's turn to shift, "No, and don't get me wrong, Cy is a great guy, but I don't know him that well just yet, so un-huh." _That did it_… Karen thought as she saw Speedy's face fall ever so slightly, he still smiled but the cocky vibes where gone. "Ah, well then I guess you aren't really looking then." She closed her eyes and shook her head, "Nope, but thanks for trying anyway red." He laughed, "No problem shiny."  
And with that the sun slid evermore down the horizon, and the evening star began to shimmer far above the festive minded mega-city of Jump California…

It was almost eleven by the end of the fireworks display, and after a full day of cooking, swimming, and hanging out, the members of Titans one bid farewell to their counterparts in Titans mobile and packed it in. Robin checked with Lucas and Titans two, as they left for their evening patrol, and wished them a happy fourth of July, then met up with Cyborg in the ops room. "Man, you got lobster fried out there today." Robin looked at the red covering his arms and winced, he hadn't forgotten the sunscreen before he went outside, but once out, he hadn't given it a second thought, "Aww, this is gonna' hurt in the morning… crap!" Stone chuckled, "Don't worry about it, Raven got her arms and legs good and pink today, so Gar is driving into town to grab some aloe skin cream he knows about. He says it helps with the fever and itching she'll have in the morning. I'll hit em' with a text so he'll know to grab extra." "Thanks Vic." Drake said as he sat in his logo marked chair.  
Cyborg hit a few buttons on his arm, then sat across from Robin, a look of bewilderment and concern on his face, "Remember how we where talking about how calm and quiet things have been the last three or four weeks?" Robin nodded, "Yeah after we got Overload back in lock-up, things seemed to quiet down." Cyborg continued; "Right, and you said that the bad guys where just licking their wounds before someone tried something else." "Yeah," Drake reached up, placed his right index finger in the middle of his mask, and then ran his thumb and middle finger around the edges of his mask, top to bottom. The mask went limp and came off in his hand, leaving a neat tan-line and causing Victor Stone to shake his head and guffaw, "Good thing you wear that mask so much, you look like an albino raccoon." Tim snorted, "Bottom line Vic, unlike you I can't just plug into the wall and keep going, I've been pulling full duty with overtime for the last month, I need to get some sleep…" "A member of the Hive Five was spotted again in Frisco today." Cyborg slid a Data-Pad over the tabletop to the maskless Robin. The screen showed a small round face with goggles resting on his forehead; a cruel smile twisted his features… "Gizmo…" Stone sighed, "He's out on parole, so far, he's playing by the rules: I checked it with F.L.A.G. remember Devin Miles?" Tim nodded, "Yeah, he _runs_ F.L.A.G. and is the C.E.O. of the Knight Foundation." Cyborg nodded again, "Right, well he said that our dear friend, Millikan Patrick O' Shaunsy, technical hellion, hacker for hire, and member of the Hive Academy for Anarchy's "elite" Hive Five is now a law abiding citizen." Drake smirked, "Bull." Stone smiled "My thoughts exactly." Cyborg got up and headed for the door, "Everything Devin told me is there, transcribed from the COM logs, and everything he sent to me over the afternoon, is in the same marked folder…" Vic paused at the door as it slid open, "There's not a lot there that's new so I put in a copy of the bio we keep on the mainframe, so take your time on it, remember we took him down hard last time and he's spent the last year behind bars…" Drake stood up and walked to the door, Data-Pad in hand, "I'll skim the new stuff tonight, then go over it should anything happen. Thanks Cyborg, I'm glad you're on top of this." The young men headed to the elevator doors, craving rest.

The doors opened and they stepped in. "You know what Vic?" Tim asked as the elevator took them up to the "dorm" level where all the Titans rooms where, Stone yawned, "Naw, what?" the doors opened and they stepped out into the long hallway and walked till they got to Robins room where the paused; "I knew that things where getting too quiet…"

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Please please please, review please! It means soo much 2 me! Thanx!

Until next time dear readers, remember my writers' creed:

1) "Make the audience suffer." —Alfred Hitchcock

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2) "The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense." —Tom Clancy

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3) "Never do things by half measures"—Myself


	11. Color of Red Sneek Peek!

Boo! Ha, bet you thought I'd died right? Nope, I've been working as much as my time allows on the story(s) for my Titans AU...

And here's a sneek peek at part 2 of this FanFiction saga; The Color of Red: Titans AU Part2

Enjoy!

ESB

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The Color of Red: Titans AU Part2

Act 1: Revenge of Boy Blue, Prologue: The Things That Change…

"The greater my wisdom, the greater my grief. To increase knowledge only increases sorrow." –King Solomon, Ecclesiastes 11:18 (NLT)

"For the first time in what seems like a really long time, I have no clue what I'm doing. Really, it seems like it was a lifetime ago that I was like thirteen, and I did stuff without any reason. That all changed when I became Bruce's new heir, and the second Robin. Bruce told me that it wasn't a game, that I had to become Robin, and that when I put on that mask, Tim Drake had to disappear… I can remember the speech he gave me that first night… the night I became Robin…" '_When you put the mask on_, _you die. A new being rises in your place. It isn't you. It isn't even human. When you put that mask on, you become Robin. No more, no less. You simply have to; to do anything else means you're just playing make-believe, a game… And games will get you and innocent people killed. That is NOT an option._' I will never forget that as long as I live, ever… I've never kept a diary or anything, I don't have the time and the content would most likely be top secret, so it's not like it'd be turned into a movie or even be readable by anyone… and yet now… There is a story that must be told. Call it dumb, or nostalgic or the final chapter of grief or something, in fact, you can call it an explanation, but the fact still remains: once more, we, the Titans, where betrayed…

And in the end, for our most of our enemies, it was little more than a game…

-Robin, A.K.A. Tim Drake

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The rain slowly drizzled in small patches causing the dark mega-city of Gotham to have a light sheen, highlighting the various colors of cars, buildings, and lights… and above it all, in a sleek, black, next generation space worthy craft, flew Batman, his prey; the scummy thugs of his hometowns underbelly. On the ground below, in a city across the country, a meeting is taking place, a meeting that will ultimately lead to him being one of the last able-bodied members of the hero community's elite, the Justice League. And there is nothing he can do to change it…

Seattle, WA… 

"You know, I've seen about three quarters of the known galaxy, and that is still the grossest thing I've ever come across." "Anyone ever tell you to go to hell Lobo?" a puff of cigarette smoke followed from the lumpy baritone of a tall denim clad shadow. The large, black haired, pale skinned alien grunted in his own raspy voice; "More that once. Ya' know, it _still_ blows my mind how universal the concept of hell is." The shadow moved and became a tall young man with long brown hair, streaked with grey and tied back in a ponytail. A long thin scar ran from his right eyebrow over the corner of his eye, down his cheek to his solid jaw line. But like everyone who saw them, Lobo noticed his eyes… dark royal blue and gray mixed with spots of brown and gold, a slight glow behind them. A glow that holds the viewer longer that one wants to look in to the eyes of the embodiment of the wrath of God… the other bounty hunter/renegade took a long drag before he spoke, "I've been to hell… Hell is what you make of it… So it ain't _that_ universal." Lobo tore his eyes away, opting to look down the alleyway at an older, flat black sports car parked facing the street behind him. "What's the word cowboy?" the tall metahuman asked. Lobo pulled a small data-pad out of his back pocket and held it up; a holographic picture sprang up from the device. "Word is that Bebop lost them just north of Jump, but that they're still working up the coast to Metroville, or Dakota, or even here." A long huff of smoke filled the air, giving the image a billowing quality. "Dollars to doughnuts Hotstreak nabs his partner if they make it to Dakota." It wasn't a assessment _or_ a question. It was fact. "I'm guessing that implies that Pyro's not that strong anymore." The cigarette disappeared in a puff of smoke and blue flame, "Nope, it's just that Hotstreak has the skills and knows his limits. Pyro's got a bit more brute force as far as powers go, but he's also quite lazy and careless overall." Lobo nodded his understanding; "So Slade will want to drop him like a hot iron." The tall, ex-super's grin was full of vengeful spite, "Bingo." Lobo chuckled and looked up at the rainy sky. "But…" Max Talbot, the metahuman formerly known as Blue Lightning turned on his heel and walked to the modified, satin black Corvette, a flick of his wrist sent an electrical signal to the custom on-board computer to start the engine, "He won't make it to the Metroville city limits…"

Jump City, CA… 

Everything was different now. The world as he knew it, the people in it, and yes, even he himself had changed, but Garfield Logan was an adapter and a fighter. _Heh, and now, a lover…_ he thought to himself as he looked down at the pale beauty curled up lovingly in his arms. His sleeping bride would probably never be Miss USA, but for him, she was the most gorgeous and captivating creature in the whole of existence.

He kissed the top of her head, slowly taking in her incense and lilac tinged scent… she awoke and kissed his neck then murmured, "Good morning Gar…" he kissed her back and replied; "Morning Rae." She looked up at him with a soft, deep look in her eyes, "Have I told you today how much I love you?" His smile was half loving, half roguish; "Does shrieking my name over and over at one in the morning count?" she blushed slightly but held her gaze, "I'd rather say the real thing if you don't mind." He smiled a real, warm, heart melting smile, just like that first one she had seen him smile all those years ago when they first met… it seemed like just yesterday and at the same time, a lifetime ago…

He whispered softly in her ear, "How much do you love me Rachel?" she whispered her reply; "If I had wings, then I would fly, yes I love you more than all the stars in the sky." He responded, "I love you more than the reasons I count as why, you are my love, apple of my eye…" then together the ended their short poem: "I love you until the day I die, and for evermore, you are my why." She brought her lips to his and gently, she caressed his tongue with hers, before breaking away, leaving her taste on his lips and in his mouth, they shared a longing look, then embraced…

They could never grow tire of this.

Titans Tower Two… 

"This had better be worth me missing sleep over Rich, cause you _know_ Vi an' me got the night shift this week." Lucas Jones, grade A hard-case, fierce Green Lantern Corps member, and current commander of the Titans was mentally stretched as thin as he could possibly be and then some, and that is a dangerous thing for a Green Lantern. "Chill boss, it will only take a few. And I'm on swing duty this month remember? I gotcha back." Richard Osgood Foley, grade A _hyper_-genius, hand-to-hand combat guru and gadget freak was as hyperactive as any three people put together, and was a creative minded person… as far as electronics went anyway… "Check it out: an Com-unit upgrade prototype, this clips onto our current Com-units…" Foley held up a small, flat, clear disk, he slid it over the top half of his open Com-unit, then did the same with Jones' unit, then placed a small oval device in his ear and handed one to his commander, "and this goes into your ear. Thus giving you full control over your T Com-unit with a thought!" Lucas looked at Richie quizzically, "And? This seems to be a tiny ear-bud, sans ear-clip. What's so great about… Wait, did you say control with a thought?" A grinning Foley nodded, "Yup, you got it boss, it interfaces with your brain byway of neural impulses. It takes a while for it to learn your brainwave patterns but once it does, it will only work for you. Brainwaves have common patterns, but the frequencies and impulses are like fingerprints and iris patterns, unique to the individual." Jones stood there for a few moments thinking… "I like it." "Huh?" Foley had stood there just long enough without any external stimulus for his brain to rebuild, upgrade, test, and refine the new little gadget twice. Jones repeated himself; "I said, I like it. Get some made ASAP. Enough for everybody." Foley laughed, "What, you mean this? This is just the prototype!" Richie shook his head chuckling, "I'll have the real deal up and running by tomorrow." Jones nodded as he walked off to his room, "Good, and remember that I want them made and given to everybody by the end of the week." Foley started to walk back to the workshop when he stopped and called out; "Lucas… do you mean everybody, well I mean… including Titans one members?" Young Lantern stopped at the auto-door and looked over his shoulder and replied: "Everybody means _everybody_ Gear. Including Titans one."

Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU! Titans AU!


End file.
